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Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Assisting Physician May Not Deserve 99360 After All

Published on Thu Nov 10, 2011

Question: Our surgeons sometimes "standby" for other surgeons in some high-risk procedures or cases. They want to code for their time, and we want to use 99360. How should they document their time to be able to charge 99360?California SubscriberAnswer: CMS and many other payers don't pay for 99360 (Physician standby service, requiring prolonged physician attendance, each 30 minutes [e.g., operative standby, standby for frozen section, for cesarean/high risk delivery, for monitoring EEG]), so the physician may not be able to charge for standby time.Some payers might pay on 99360, however. If a third party payer does reimburse for 99360, then be sure the physician has documented the standby service with something such as: "I was requested by [DOCTOR'S NAME] to be on standby for trauma surgery performed on [PATIENT'S NAME] on [DATE]. I arrived at the facility at [ARRIVAL TIME] and departed at [DEPARTURE TIME]." Note: When a physician [...]
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