Reader Question:
V Codes Make You Victorious on 'Injury-Free' E/M
Published on Tue Feb 17, 2009
Question: A 78-year-old established Medicare patient reports to the office for a visit stemming from a recent auto accident he was in; he collided with another car at low speed while driving. The patient reports no outward symptoms, but "wanted to get checked out just to be safe." A qualified nonphysician practitioner (NPP) performs a problem-focused history and exam, but finds nothing wrong with the patient. How should I code for this service, being that there is no clear diagnosis? Michigan Subscriber Answer: There's a V code that will prove medical necessity for this visit. On the claim, report the following: • 99212 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, which requires at least 2 of these 3 key components ...) for the E/M, • V71.4 (Observation and evaluation for suspected conditions not found; observation following other accident) appended to 99212 to represent [...]
