Monday, January 16, 2012

E/M Coding: 99058: ‘Walk-in' Patients Only Won't Qualify You for This Emergency Code

Stress on the phrase "in addition to basic service."

Pediatricians don't always see patients during scheduled office a visit, which implies that you perhaps see walk-in patients almost every week. Even though some practices instantly stamp a 99058 code on all walk-in claims, you must avoid adding this code to your visit except you can prove that the patient's visit is truly emergent. Go through this expert medical coding article for learning more.

Office Emergency Points to 99058

While CPT code lookup, you must think "emergency" and "interruption" when considering whether to include 99058 (Service[s] provided on an emergency basis in the office, which disrupts other scheduled office services, in addition to basic service) on a claim.

It requires to really be an emergent or urgent problem that be applicable to to walk-ins in case they have a triage assessment and have a severe problem that needs to be worked up instantaneously and they are seen by a doctor as soon as possible; however, it doesn't apply in an unvarying way to walk-ins. Reviewers have seen 99058 linked to ICD9 codes for pharyngitis, upper respiratory infections, and different other conditions that are normally considered non-emergent.

CPT Code Lookup Tip: Cases that worth 99058 are urgent care situations that disturb the office schedule, for instance a child who is suffering from asthma and also going through active wheezing as well as shortness of breath (493.02, Extrinsic asthma; with [acute] exacerbation).The patient's parent could bring the child himself, or a different physician office could call saying the it is essential for the patient to be seen right away. You must ensure the pediatrician sufficiently documents the situation, however, prior to submitting 99058 -- payers want to know that the physician treated the patient for an emergent problem, disrupting their schedule.

Remember to Include E/M Codes

At first glimpse, when you execute CPT code lookup, 99058 seems complete enough to stand on its own. You must, however, always take a closer look and the phrase "in addition to basic service" is your hint that more codes are required.

Once you perform CPT code lookup, you will find that CPT doesn't designate the status with a plus sign, however the code technically is considered add-on. As a result, you can only report it in combination with the suitable E/M code.

Some payers, including Medicare, do not reimburse for the after-hours codes -- but others do. Reimbursement rates might not be high, but every little bit adds up. You can also use the fact that few payers are reimbursing you for this code to help negotiate for payment from non-paying insurers.

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