# Outpatient follow-up (New or Established codes)



## chestede (Jul 22, 2010)

If a patient is seen in the hospital for a consultation requested by another physician (this consulting provider has never seen this patient before), would you use one of the "Initial Inpatient Consultations" codes? Then, if that consulting provider follows up with that patient on an outpatient basis like a week later, would that patient have a "New" or "Established" patient E & M code? (that consulting provider only saw him once before, in the hospital.)


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## RebeccaWoodward* (Jul 23, 2010)

chestede said:


> If a patient is seen in the hospital for a consultation requested by another physician (this consulting provider has never seen this patient before), would you use one of the "Initial Inpatient Consultations" codes? Then, if that consulting provider follows up with that patient on an outpatient basis like a week later, would that patient have a "New" or "Established" patient E & M code? (that consulting provider only saw him once before, in the hospital.)



For *NON*-Medicare patients, you would select 99241-99245 for outpatient consultations.  For *NON-*Medicare patients, you would select 99251-99255 for inpatient consultations.  If the patient follows up with this physician or a member of his group specialty (in the office) the patient would be considered established to the practice.

If this is Medicare: Medicare no longer recognizes consultations and the new guidelines would apply.


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