Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

In our article, -Shared Visits Can Net 15 Percent More on Some E/M Services, (Insider, Vol. 9, No. 21), we noted, -Under shared-visit rules, the NPP can treat patients in the hospital in accordance with his scope of practice and hospital privileges granted. During these visits, general supervision requirements apply. The physician must be accessible at all times by telephone or some other means of communication.- The last sentence is not in reference to the shared/split visit rule. Instead, it describes how other insurance plans may view the billing of hospital charges in the hospital setting, according to Suzan Berman-Hvizdash, CPC, CPC-E/M, CPC-EDS, physician educator for the University of Pittsburgh. Check with your top payers to see what they will require when your NPP renders services in the hospital setting.