# Patient expired, what do I code?



## Love Coding! (Apr 16, 2012)

Hello,

A patient that my physician was treating in the hospital has died.  He was not there when the patient expired, did not pronounce him deceased.  There was another physician that did that.  We do not bill for the facility, my physician does his own billing.    But my physician is billing a 99232, with just a brief summary of the patients care days before the patient passed away.  Can he code this? I have not been in this situation before.

Many thanks,


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## dclark7 (Apr 16, 2012)

If your doctor saw the patient prior to his death (i.e. on rounds that day) he can bill for the visit.  If he did not see the patient and is just summarizing the hospital stay he cannot bill anything for that day.


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## NaliniAAPC (Apr 16, 2012)

Hi,

Yes she is correct.i agree with Doreen..

Nalini CPC


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## Love Coding! (Apr 16, 2012)

Thank you Nalini and Doreen for the feedback..so in this instance, the physician did not do an exam nor a review of systems (we know why).  So if it's ok to bill a 99232, he does not meet the documentation requirements because he only gives a brief summary of the care days before the patient expired.  

I will share this with my fellow coders...

Thanks!


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