# Preventative vs. office visit codes - please help!!



## mfanning (Oct 24, 2008)

Our facility is piloting a program where a certain group of individuals is offered a battery of tests to assess their health stauts (EKG, labs, etc.) and then recieve counseling on the test results.

The plan is for a Nurse Practitioner to initially see the patient, provide them with a comprehensive health history questionaire and write scripts for various tests.  Weeks later, the patients will see a physician who will review the history form with the patient, review the test results, perform an examination and counsel them on risk factors.

My question is - would these be coded using the Preventative Medicine codes or New patient office visit codes?

Thanks for your help!


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## Anna Weaver (Oct 27, 2008)

*preventive vs office visit*



mfanning said:


> Our facility is piloting a program where a certain group of individuals is offered a battery of tests to assess their health stauts (EKG, labs, etc.) and then recieve counseling on the test results.
> 
> The plan is for a Nurse Practitioner to initially see the patient, provide them with a comprehensive health history questionaire and write scripts for various tests.  Weeks later, the patients will see a physician who will review the history form with the patient, review the test results, perform an examination and counsel them on risk factors.
> 
> ...



I don't see how you can use office visit's as there is not problem to code. You would have to use the V codes and if the nurse practitioner sees them initially, they would have to do all the elements of a preventive visit in order to bill it. Then the physician wouldn't be able to do a preventive visit in a few weeks when results were in as those are only paid for periodically (1, 2 or 3 years depending on insurance). I think you have quite a dilemma on your hands.  Sorry, I can't be much help except to give my two cents. Anyone else?


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