EM Coding Alert

Question: How do I bill a service that took place in our parking lot? The daughter of the elderly patient with a suppressed immune system did not want to bring the patient into our waiting room due to possible exposure to other patients’ conditions. Can we bill for this service? And if yes, what location would we use?

Kentucky Subscriber

Answer: Yes, you can bill, and because the service took place on the property of your office, you should use your office as the location. Physicians are occasionally called outside to evaluate patients who potentially have a contagious and dangerous strain of the flu, or patients who simply cannot walk from the car into the office.

Make sure you document the reason you went to see the patient outside, and thoroughly record the visit as you would any visit that takes place inside of your office.