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Pediatric Coding Alert

Asthma Attack:

Find Out if Prolonged or High-Level E/M Represents Your Work

Published on Fri Apr 03, 2009

This checklist deters payback requests for insufficient +99354 time. After spending almost an hour stabilizing an acute asthmatic, an extra $60 can be in store provided you make the right choice between coding prolonged services or a higher-level E/M. Case study: A patient requires two nebulizer treatments and lengthy treatment time due to hay fever with exacerbated asthma (493.02, & extrinsic asthma;  with [acute] exacerbation). Which of the following E/M options, would you report: a. 99214 -- Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, which requires at least 2 of these 3 key components: A detailed history; a detailed examination; medical decision making of moderate complexity & Usually, the presenting problems are of moderate to high severity. Physicians typically spend 25 minutes face-to-face with the patient and/or family. and +99354 -- Prolonged physician service in the office or other outpatient setting requires direct [face-to-face] patient [...]
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