# No charge



## preema (Oct 29, 2009)

This patient was admitted to hospital after an EPF history in physician's office by the same physician.

Searched about this and found that "If you provide the office visit and see the patient in the hospital later that day, you'll be paid only for the inpatient care code, because Medicare states that "All services provided by the physician in conjunction with that admission are considered part of the initial hospital care when performed on the same date as the admission."

So the office visit will become no charge. Is this correct?


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## aprilroc (Oct 29, 2009)

That is how I understand it. Anytime one of my DR's see a patient in office and then admits, I only bill the hospital code.


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## FTessaBartels (Oct 29, 2009)

*Work of office visit rolls into initial hospital visit*

It's not that the office visit is a "no charge" so much as that the work performed in the office visit is rolled into the work of the initial hospital visit.

You use the documentation of the office visit *and* of the initial hospital visit to choose your level of service 99221-99223.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


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