# Postpartum hospital visits



## jdibble (Sep 28, 2010)

I have 2 different scenarios where I need help - 

Our hospital has an OB hospitalist who saw patients in the hosptial only post partum and did not do the delivery. Another doctor delivered the baby and will be following up with the patient when they go home. Can these visits be billed since this doctor is not doing all of the postpartum visits? 

Our hospital has also brought in what they call Laborists under our Hospitalist program. These doctors are actually OB/GYN who have their own practices, but are hired by the hospital as independent contractors to cover the OB/GYN floor during the evenings. I am supposed to charge out for their services - they are basically admitting and providing Labor Management for patient's - some of whom have an OB doc who will be called into the hospital when the patient is ready to deliver. Can any of this be billed - and if so, how would I do that?

I apprectiate any help I can get with these - this is driving me crazy!


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## jdibble (Sep 30, 2010)

*Help?*

Can anyone offer me some answers to these questions?


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## gailmc (Oct 1, 2010)

CPT indicates that postpartum care includes hospital/office visits following delivery so only one provider can bill for the post-partum visit - it cannot be separated.  The provider that delivered the baby can bill for the delivery and then one or the other provider can bill for the post-partum. 

Global OB packages include antepartum, delivery, and post-partum.  Admitting and labor management are all part of the global OB package and not separately billable.

For both cases detailed above, when we have a provider that performs a service that is not a billable service, we compensate the provider on the backend, since CPT guidelines don't allow unbundling of these services.


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## jdibble (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks Gail for your response.  This does make sense.


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