# Pacemaker Interrogation and Hospital Discharge



## crberman (Nov 8, 2010)

Hi,

I need some help with two things. 

A patient goes in to the hospital through the ER and is assigned to observation for syncope. My doctor is asked to see him since he is his long time patient.

1. Even though my doctor didn't assign him to obs he was asked to do the discharge summary, can I bill for a discharge summary or should I bill a regular out patient visit?

2. Doctor did a pacemaker interrogation along with the pacer rep with doctors portable equipment, can I bill for the pacer interrogation?

Thank you for your help,
Christine


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## junebug1969 (Nov 8, 2010)

Hello Christine,

Hopefully some other people will give opinions on this, but I'll tell you what we do.

1. We don't bill a discharge unless we are listed as the admitting/attending on the hospital facesheet. If there is a request from a physician (ER doc, etc.) to see the patient (even if we are their regular cardiologist), then we will bill a consult. (Unless of course it is not a Medicare patient, and all the elements of a consult are met.)

2. You can bill for the pacer interrogation. We make sure that we get the documentation from the hospital that shows the information about the interrogation. Also, if the interrogation resulted in a change in the programming, you would of course bill that instead of just the interrogation. 

Hope this helps!


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## crberman (Nov 9, 2010)

Thank you junebug1969

That is what I was thinking but sometimes I seem to question myself so I like to get someone elses opinion.

Christine


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