# Cosultation



## MsMaddy (Sep 24, 2008)

WHEN PRIMARY DOCTOR IS CALLED BY THE HOSPITAL TO COME SEE HIS PT WHO WAS ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL BY THE ADMITTING PHYSICIAN IN THE HOSPITAL, IS THAT PRIMARY DR. GOING TO CHARGE THE INITIAL HOSPITAL VISIT ONLY? OR IS THAT CONSIDERED A CONSULTATION VISIT?
I WAS ASKED THAT BY ONE OF MY CO-WORKER.  TO ME THAT IS A HOSPITAL INITIAL VISIT BY THE PRIMARY DR. CONSULTATION IS ONLY WHEN ANOTHER DR. ASKES ANOTHER DR. FOR HIS OPINION.

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVACE!

MsMaddy


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## lavanyamohan (Sep 25, 2008)

madlen said:


> WHEN PRIMARY DOCTOR IS CALLED BY THE HOSPITAL TO COME SEE HIS PT WHO WAS ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL BY THE ADMITTING PHYSICIAN IN THE HOSPITAL, IS THAT PRIMARY DR. GOING TO CHARGE THE INITIAL HOSPITAL VISIT ONLY? OR IS THAT CONSIDERED A CONSULTATION VISIT?
> I WAS ASKED THAT BY ONE OF MY CO-WORKER.  TO ME THAT IS A HOSPITAL INITIAL VISIT BY THE PRIMARY DR. CONSULTATION IS ONLY WHEN ANOTHER DR. ASKES ANOTHER DR. FOR HIS OPINION.
> 
> THANK YOU ALL IN ADVACE!
> ...



Hi,
The doctor who was called should charge only for a consultation visit, as this was a request by another physician- But, submitting written requistion letter, lab reports by the requesting physician and the primary physician's report after his consultation based on a valid medical judgement is mandatory-


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## FTessaBartels (Sep 25, 2008)

*Why was primary doctor called?*

Ms Maddy ... I think you are on the right track!

If the admitting physician was calling the primary care physician to render his opinion on management of a chronic issue while the patient is hospitalized, then it's probably a consult. Example: patient is admitted to Ortho service following car accident, for broken pelvis; Ortho doc requests consult from patient's primary care doc on management of pt's HTN while hospitalized.

On the other hand, if the admitting physician is calling the patient's primary care doc to come see the patient - either for management of an issue, or just as a courtesy to let the primary know his patient is hospitalized - then the primary care doctor's visit is probably a SUBSEQUENT hospital visit (the admitting physician would be billing the initial hospital visit). 

On the THIRD hand ... if the ER has contacted the primary doc to say "patient should be admitted; please come to hospital" ... then the primary doc is doing the actual admission and would bill the initial hospital visit. 

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CPC-E/M


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