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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Questions:

Include CPR in Critical Care

Published on Sun Sep 19, 2004

Question: A patient came to the ED, and the physician performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other procedures, but the patient died within a half hour. Should I also bill an evaluation and management code with this? I have documentation to support a level five.
   
Illinois Subscriber
 
Answer: If the chart documentation supports an E/M service (99281-99285) in addition to CPR, you may bill one with modifier -25 appended. The exception: You can't bill CPR when the physician performs it during minutes you're counting toward critical care time. Remember that when you report critical care, the time involved must be separate from time spent performing other separately billable procedures. As long as the chart supports a separately identifiable ED E/M service, you should code one.
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