Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: What do fetal non-stress tests (NSTs) entail? Are reading NSTs for pregnant mothers who are inpatients a separately billable service?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: A NST is a discrete test that takes 20-40 minutes to complete and requires a notation of fetal movement as part of the test.

If the patient is simply hooked up to a monitor during her hospital stay and the ob-gyn occasionally looks at the strip, you should consider that part of her exam and not a separately billable test.

To separately bill this service with 59025 (Fetal nonstress test), your ob-gyn must document a clear indication for doing the NST (for instance, to measure fetal wellbeing).You must have a report with the findings and a recommendation for further testing or treatment. You should also have a hard copy of the tests strip.

Keep in mind: If the ob-gyn performed this service in the hospital using hospital equipment, you can bill only the professional component of the test (59025-26, Professional component).