Optometry Coding & Billing Alert
Reader Question:
'No Charge' Visits Still Count Toward Established Patient Status
Published on Wed Sep 23, 2015
Question: Our optometrist 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?
Codify Subscriber
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.
Other Articles in this issue of
Optometry Coding & Billing Alert
- Contact Lenses:
Contact Coding Story Doesn't Stop at 92310
Get your deserved reimbursement for medically necessary lenses. Seasoned optometry coders know there’s a world [...] - More Changes Coming for Visual Disturbances Dx
H53 family also covers visual field defects, color vision deficiency, and night blindness. Recently, you [...] - ICD-10:
CMS Reps: All Systems Go for Next Month's ICD-10 Launch
You can continue to participate in acknowledgement testing until Oct. 1. You’ve had years to [...] - Compliance:
CMS: Improper E/M Coding Remains a Growing Problem
Part B error rate is worse this year than last. No matter where you look, [...] - Reader Question:
Eye G0117 or G0118 for Glaucoma Screenings
Question: A Medicare patient presented for a glaucoma screening. He had no personal history or diagnosis [...] - Reader Question:
'No Charge' Visits Still Count Toward Established Patient Status
Question: Our optometrist saw a patient during a quick assessment last year at no charge. The [...] - You Be the Expert:
Multiple FBs
Question: How should I report the encounter when the optometrist removes a pair of non-magnetic ocular [...]
View All
