Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Phone Chat Doesn't Always Mean 99441-99443

Question:A new patient came to our office, and the physician did a complete workup, resulting in a level-three new patient E/M visit. Later in the week the doctor returned the patient's phone call to see how he was doing, to discuss questions the patient had, and to recommend a follow-up appointment. He spent 22 minutes on the phone with the patient and wants to bill for this time. Should we report a code for the telephone service? The doctor thinks since there are telephone codes, we should report them. I don't think this is a billable service. Who is correct?Delaware Subscriber Answer: You are correct. CPT® offers three telephone service codes:99441 -- Telephone evaluation and management service provided by a physician to an established patient, parent, or guardian not originating from a related E/M service provided within the previous 7 days nor leading to an E/M service or procedure within the [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Anesthesia Coding Alert

View All