# E/M telephone conversations?? add to E/M



## 2believe (Jan 17, 2010)

When a physician speaks to a patient on the telephone and discusses medical information for over 30 minutes, when this patient comes into the office for an established visit can this time be added to the visit?

I noticed with the non face to face 99441 code it states, not originating from a related E/M service provided within the previous 7 days nor leading to an E/M within 24 hours or soonest available.

Please help


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## mitchellde (Jan 17, 2010)

No you may not add this time on to the E&M and the 99441-99443 are for phone calls that are initiated by the patient, not for when the physician calls the patient.


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## LLovett (Jan 18, 2010)

I have to disagree with Debra on this one.

If the provider documents the call and time and it falls with in the range described under the telephone services you can add it to the E/M service. If it falls outside the range that is when you use the telephone E/M codes.

Laura, CPC, CPMA, CEMC


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## mitchellde (Jan 18, 2010)

I am not sure I follow you on this. To bill the 99441-99443 the patient has to be the one that initiates the call and it cannot be within 7 days or 24 hours of an office encounter.  where do you see the instruction to add the time on to the office encounter?  Not doubting just asking.


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## LLovett (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm working from home so I don't have access to many of my saved files, I have ( I hope I still have it anyway) a really good newsletter on this. What I was able to come up with just now was from CMS.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/downloads/R1423CP.pdf

page 9. CMS doesn't cover the phone call cpts but they acknowledge when related to an E/M they should be considered to level the next E/M visit.

I will try and remember to look for the other document when I am back in my office again.

Laura, CPC, CPMA, CEMC


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## mitchellde (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks Laura I appreciate this.


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## 2believe (Jan 19, 2010)

Thank you this will help our providers


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