Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Reader Question:
"No Charge" Visits Count Toward Established Patient Status
Published on Wed Dec 09, 2015 
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Question: Our internal medicine specialist saw a patient during a quick assessment last year at no charge. The patient returned this week for a complete exam. Should this be billed as an established patient or new?
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Answer: In this situation, the patient will be considered “established” because you already treated him during a face-to-face encounter within the last three years, which constitutes an established patient under the CPT® guidelines.
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