# postpartum vs office visit



## kimcox23@gmail.com (Mar 5, 2014)

I was just wondering how everyone codes their postpartum visits (I'm fairly new only coding 3 months in ob/gyn). I have doctors that assign 59430 to everything. if a patient is coming in a week or 2 with mastitis or and incision infection to post partum depression. Then they end up having them come back to have another "postpartum visit"  in 2-3 weeks which to me is the acutal postpartum visit. in the global package it includs 13 prenatal, delivery, and 1 post partum visit. How does everyone handle these extra visits due to incision checks, post partum depression, gestational hypertension etc??? I think we are loosing out by not charging for these check ups as they are not truly postpartum visits if they are coming in with an issue so close to delivery. Thoughts?

Thanks!!


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## sunnyf26 (Mar 5, 2014)

kimcox23@gmail.com said:


> I was just wondering how everyone codes their postpartum visits (I'm fairly new only coding 3 months in ob/gyn). I have doctors that assign 59430 to everything. if a patient is coming in a week or 2 with mastitis or and incision infection to post partum depression. Then they end up having them come back to have another "postpartum visit"  in 2-3 weeks which to me is the acutal postpartum visit. in the global package it includs 13 prenatal, delivery, and 1 post partum visit. How does everyone handle these extra visits due to incision checks, post partum depression, gestational hypertension etc??? I think we are loosing out by not charging for these check ups as they are not truly postpartum visits if they are coming in with an issue so close to delivery. Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks!!


Hi,
In our office I will only use an office visit code if the reason for the return visit is not related to pregnancy. It says one PP visit but you have to take into account the global period after the delivery. Using 59430 is not acceptable if you have given global care. That is used when the patient is not "yours" and comes in for a PP visit. Hope this helps.


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## kimcox23@gmail.com (Mar 7, 2014)

sunnyf26 said:


> Hi,
> In our office I will only use an office visit code if the reason for the return visit is not related to pregnancy. It says one PP visit but you have to take into account the global period after the delivery. Using 59430 is not acceptable if you have given global care. That is used when the patient is not "yours" and comes in for a PP visit. Hope this helps.



I get what your saying about not billing 59430 if i have already billed the global code and I'm talking about patients coming in multiple times after delivery. So say they have anthem and I billed out their package as 59510. Well say they are 1 week post op and have an infection and they are seen. Then the doctor wants to see them in a week for f/up. Then after that he wants  to see them for their post partum visit. You do not charge for the 2 visits before the actual post partum one? the package only includes 13 antenatal, delivery, and 1 post partum visit. and there are specifics that need to be dont at the post partum visit. Those other two are complications of the delivery and I thought they could be billed. Is this not true? or is it more of a courtesy thing?


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## ealvarez113@hotmail.com (Mar 7, 2014)

I would bill them out. I've been doing it and we haven't had a problem. We just make sure that the diagnosis is due to the surgery. But we use office visit consult codes like 99212 or 99213 depending on if there is anything additional.


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