ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: Is it appropriate for us to bill for services that hospital staff (such as nurses, respiratory therapists, etc.) provide, such as ABGs and peripheral IVs? The attending physician and a resident are present for the entire encounter.


Kentucky Subscriber


Answer: No, you cannot bill for services that hospital staff perform, even if your physician is supervising the episode of care. While you won't generally bill for services like arterial blood gases (ABGs) and peripheral intravenous infusions (IVs) when nurses and lab techs perform them, you can report them when your physician performs them for medically necessary reasons.