Oregon Subscriber
Answer: Your pediatrician can bill for the work he did. Although the family already has a pediatrician, if that pediatrician did not attend the delivery or admit the baby, then he or she cannot bill. But your pediatrician did, and he may code 99436 (attendance at delivery [when requested by delivering physician] and initial stabilization of newborn) and a hospital admission (99222 or 99223). Do not code 99431 (normal newborn admission): This baby is not a normal newborn. If you provided resuscitation, you can bill 99440 (newborn resuscitation: provision of positive pressure ventilation and/or chest compressions in the presence of acute inadequate ventilation and/or cardiac output). You cannot, however, bill 99440 in addition to 99436. If the pediatrician intubated the baby to suction him, code 31500 (intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure) also.