ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Recent Medicare clarification nixes '8-hour rule.'Reporting your ED physician's observation services can be tricky business, as there is confusion about how, when, and why to choose from one observation code set or another.Add to that a common misconception about Medicare coding, and you've got a recipe for potential disaster. Clear things up with this observation FAQ.When Should I Use 99218-99220?One reason coders get tripped up on observations is the code sets; there are different code sets for different observation services, depending on length.Coders should select a code from the 99218-99220 (Initial observation care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient which requires these 3 key requirements: ...) set when the physician admits the patient on one date and discharges him on another calendar date, confirms Sharlene A. Scott, CPC, CPC-H, CCS-P, CCP-P, CPC-I, CPMA, PMCC-approved instructor at Baltimore's Coding Academy of America, Inc."These codes are typically used [...]