# New Patient Office Visit?????



## cbooker (Feb 24, 2010)

Physician reads a pulmonary function test prior to seeing patient in the office.  Patient comes in to office one week later for their first appointment with the same physician.  Physician never saw patient before until the office visit.  Is this a new patient office visit?


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## marciatraves@hotmail.com (Feb 24, 2010)

yes it is


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## wsyer10@yahoo.com (Feb 24, 2010)

*New Patient Office Visit*

This is not necessarily a new patient office visit.  The question you need to ask is, "Is this patient new to the office not new to this particular doctor?"  If this patient has been seen in the office by a different doctor prior to this visit it is not a new patient office visit.


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## cbooker (Feb 24, 2010)

Patient was new to the practice and doctor.  My real concern is the fact that we already billed under the physician name for the professional component of the pulmonary function test.


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## Anna Weaver (Feb 24, 2010)

My understanding of this is that if he read the pulmonary function test, but never saw the patient face-to-face, then as you indicate the patient is new to the practice and new to the physician. If he had in fact saw the patient, then read the PFT, then the patient would be established. determining factor is face-to-face. This is a good article that explains it. http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2003/0900/p33.html Also see if you can open this PDF. It's also good. [PDF] • New vs. Established Patient Codes • New Patient Codes ...


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## RebeccaWoodward* (Feb 24, 2010)

*New patient if:*

-Only read and interpreted the results
-No face to face encounter
-Never saw this physician or a member of his specialty practice, previously, within the last 3 years...


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## cbooker (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks for the information.  The article was very helpful.


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