Question: Are there any advantages to choosing critical care codes rather than high-paying E/M codes? Answer: Even though you should first choose the appropriate E/M code based on proper coding and documentation, an advantage to using critical care codes (99291-99292) is that you may find that your local carrier pays more for those codes than for high-level E/M codes (for example, 99205 and 99215).
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For instance, HGSAdministrators (HGSA) in Pennsylvania pays about $256 for 99291. On the other hand, if you submitted level-five new patient code 99205 to HGSA, you could expect about $180, a difference of $76. But to improve your reimbursement, you must medically justify using 99291-99292, or your insurer may deny your claim.
Often oncology coders resist using critical care codes 99291 (Critical care, evaluation and management of the critically ill or critically injured patient; first 30-74 minutes) and +99292 (... each additional 30 minutes [list separately in addition to code for primary service]), because they believe the codes are meant for hospitals.
You may use these higher-paying codes in the office if you follow CPT's guidelines for reporting critical care services. For three key points of CPT's definition of critical care, review the following: