# Down Coding Initial to Subsequent?



## kelam (Jul 26, 2013)

If a provider does not meet the 3 out of 3 criteria for an initial encounter in the hospital or nursing home, can you down code to a subsequent visit?
I was told that you could do this at an AAPC auditing workshop a couple of years ago but have never been able to find anything in writing.


----------



## espressoguy (Jul 26, 2013)

http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Edu...k-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE1010.pdf

There is an article in the February, 2012 Coding Edge that discusses this.


----------



## kelam (Jul 26, 2013)

Thank you very much for the information.  It appears that this all pertains to hosptial, I am curious if they will allow downcoding to sub in the nursing home as well??


----------

