# meet and greet - my fellow coders



## cdr4life (Nov 28, 2014)

Hello, I need some help from my fellow coders please. I code for a doctor's office in Arizona. A patient came to our office recently for a "meet and greet" with the Doctor. That's all the exam had in the chart note. Would this be considered a nurse visit since that's all the doctor put in the exam was "meet and greet with patient, patient declined exam"? Please let me know what you think I should do.

Thank you,


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## mitchellde (Nov 28, 2014)

smoogie87 said:


> Hello, I need some help from my fellow coders please. I code for a doctor's office in Arizona. A patient came to our office recently for a "meet and greet" with the Doctor. That's all the exam had in the chart note. Would this be considered a nurse visit since that's all the doctor put in the exam was "meet and greet with patient, patient declined exam"? Please let me know what you think I should do.
> 
> Thank you,



If this is a meet and greet then I assume it is a new patient which means you cannot charge a 99211.  Sounds like a no charge encounter.


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## sunil (Nov 29, 2014)

mitchellde said:


> If this is a meet and greet then I assume it is a new patient which means you cannot charge a 99211.  Sounds like a no charge encounter.



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For me also it sounds like a no charge encounter


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## Saedron (Nov 30, 2014)

smoogie87 said:


> Hello, I need some help from my fellow coders please. I code for a doctor's office in Arizona. A patient came to our office recently for a "meet and greet" with the Doctor. That's all the exam had in the chart note. Would this be considered a nurse visit since that's all the doctor put in the exam was "meet and greet with patient, patient declined exam"? Please let me know what you think I should do.
> 
> Thank you,



Agreed. Medical necessity is your over arching criteria for billing. If there is no medical reason for the visit, you cannot bill insurance.


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## jorzano55@gmail.com (Nov 30, 2014)

*Meet and greet*

This is not a billable charge to any insurance.  You do not meet any of the required elements needed to decide level of visit.  I have seen some practices offer a meet and greet with a pre-determined set time for a pre-set fee.  If the patient chooses not to join the practice the fee is not returned but if patient becomes a patient of the practice the money paid goes toward patient copayment or balance.  These rules must be clearly stated and spelled out.  Have patient sign something stating whatever the decision is copy to patient and original retain in office.  You can do whatever your Doctors want but it must be stated up front, you just can't send to insurance unless it becomes a full new patient visit.

Keep in mind issues like this can either help or destroy the practice.  Many people will be turned off having to pay just to meet a doctor to see if they can work together when other doctors in the area do not charge.  Word of mouth is everything.


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