General Surgery Coding Alert

Question: When another doctor refers a patient to our surgeon, who meets with the patient in the office before going on to perform surgery at a later date, is this a new patient visit or a consultation? Our surgeon always sends a report to the referring physician. Sometimes the other doctor sends a written referral, but sometimes we just get a phone call or the patient states that her doctor referred her -- does that impact the coding?Answer: You can bill the situation you've described as a consultation (99241-99245, Office consultation for a new or established patient ...) under the 2010 consultation guidelines.A consultation is a request for opinion, advice, or guidance, and your surgeon is always providing that service when he must examine a patient prior to deciding whether to become involved in the patient's care.That's not all: Make sure you meet all of these requirements before you bill a [...]