ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Last month's issue of ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert reported on the 2012 CPT® updates relevant to emergency medicine, but the just released CPT® 2012 errata file added the subsequent observation codes (99224-99226) to the code range parenthetical for use with prolonged service codes.

This accounts for the typical times listed in the code descriptors for the subsequent observation codes. The revised code descriptor and applicable code range now appears as follows:

Code 99356 (Prolonged physician service in the inpatient setting, requiring unit/floor time beyond the usual service; first hour [List separately in addition to code for inpatient Evaluation and Management service] has a new parenthetical list of applicable code ranges that now include the initial admit to observation codes.

(Use 99356 in conjunction with 99218-99220, 99221-99223, 99224-99226, 99251-99255, 99304-99310, 90822, and 90829).