ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
Report Intubation Alone
Question: Our ED physician was called to the intensive care unit (ICU) to intubate a patient. Using a #3 curved blade, she visualized the larynx and saw a large mucus plug overlying the vocal cords. She removed the mucus plug and then intubated the patient without difficulty. Which E/M code should I use for this service? Should I report the E/M with 31500, or should I report 31500 alone? New Jersey Subscriber Answer: Most EDs report 31500 (Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure) by itself in this situation. There is no requirement to bill an E/M. If you reported a consult code (for example, 99251, Initial inpatient consultation), the physician must meet all the requirements for a consult. These include a request from the patient's physician, a history and physical exam, and a report back to the initiating physician. Most ED physicians do not have time to get back to the initiating physician or perform a full evaluation of the patient, so they rarely meet the service requirements for a consultation.
ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
- Clean Up Simple Laceration Claims and Get the Payment You Deserve
Simple laceration repairs may be relatively easy for your ED physicians, but they're far from [...] - Bump Simpleto Intermediate, When Appropriate
You can get simple laceration repair claims paid, but you may not obtain optimal and [...] - Remove Foreign-Body Billing Woes With Coding Examples
Reporting foreign-body removal (FBR) services can be a royal pain in the neck for ED [...] - You Be the Coder:
How to Report ED Lab Work
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Check Your States UPPL Laws
The following states have laws modeled on the Uniform Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Law [...] - Sobering News:
Strategies for Alcohol and Drug Intoxication
Alcohol and drug intoxication have caused enough damage to your patients don't let these coded [...] - Reader Question:
Avoid Charging Most ED Nebulizer Treatments
Question: Our ED physician performs nebulizer treatments. What documentation gets this service paid? Colorado Subscriber [...] - Reader Question:
Report Intubation Alone
Question: Our ED physician was called to the intensive care unit (ICU) to intubate a [...] - Reader Question:
Watch Those Observation Codes
Question: How should I bill the following scenario?: A patient was admitted to the ED [...]
