Advanced Search

Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Part B coding Coach:

99214: Tally Review of Systems Accurately and You May Qualify for Higher-Level Codes

Published on Sat Jan 15, 2011

Without documentation of each system, prepare to assign a lower code. Medical practices that correctly document their visits and code based on the documentation should not shy away from reporting level-four and level-five office visits, but if you incorrectly tally the history, exam, and medical decision-making (MDM), you'll miss the opportunity to report 99214 or 99215. The third element for the historical portion of an E/M service, after the chief complaint (CC) and the history of the present illness (HPI), is the review of systems (ROS) -- this portion of the E/M service trips up many coders because often they must select a lower code simply because the provider didn't document pertinent negative responses or inappropriately used the statement "all systems negative." Ensure you properly count your practitioner's ROS with this primer to guarantee you're not overcoding or undercoding his E/M services. Differentiate ROS Levels "The review of systems is a [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in your eNewsletter
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs*
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more
*CEUs available with select eNewsletters.

Other Articles in this issue of

Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

View All