# EKG reading- place of service



## camilleb (Nov 19, 2009)

My doc interprets an ekg on a patient on 10/20.  This patient entered the hospital thru the ER on 10/20 and was upgraded to an inpatient Obs status on 10/21 and discharged from the hospital on 10/22.  

I am trying to determine the physical place of service the ekg was performed and what place of service the physician should bill.  
Would this be ER (23) or Outpatient (22)?

When I call to confirm with the hospital all they tell me is that the patient was in Observation.  I do not do hospital coding, so I take it that they report their bill differently than the physician does? Ideas anyone?
Much appreciated!

Camille B, CPC


----------



## kimberlypowell (Nov 19, 2009)

When your phisician read the ekg, was the pt in the ER or already admitted as obs?  If the pt was in the ER, then bill as ER.  If the pt was already in obs, use out pt obs.


----------



## camilleb (Nov 22, 2009)

The place of service is what I'm trying to determine.  Now I'm hearing that if the hospital has upgraded the patient to INPATIENT OBS, then the whole service from day 1 (10/20) will be changed to an Inpatient Obs stay.  

Is this something that a person will have to discuss with the hospital's billing/ med recs department to know the difference?


----------

