Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

One wrong answer could mean an audit -- and refunds.

Basing your global ob coding on assumptions is like asking for denials and lost reimbursement. Take this three-question challenge to determine if you-re recouping your maximum ethical payment when reporting global ob services.

Question 1: When your ob patient first meets with a nurse to order blood work and conduct a prenatal interview, you report a minimal visit (99201 or 99211, Office or other outpatient visit -). Then, when the patient is at 11 weeks, you set this patient up to meet with your ob-gyn for the first time to determine a viable pregnancy. For that service, you report 99203/99204 or 99214/99215 and include any visits thereafter as part of the global ob package. Is this correct? YES/NO

Question 2: When an ob-gyn sees an ob patient for the first time, the only way to be paid for the first initial workup is to use 626.0 (Amenorrhea [primary] [secondary]). And only after that visit can you start the global ob package. Is this correct? YES/NO

Question 3: When a patient has problems due to a threatened AB, you cannot bill that visit outside of the global ob package. Is this correct? YES/NO