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Pediatric Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Take Off With 99289-99290 Road Rules

Published on Tue Jul 01, 2003

Question: When a nurse practitioner (NP) without a physician present accompanies a critically ill baby in a transport vehicle, may I use 99289-99290?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Only physicians may report CPT transportation codes (99289, Critical care services delivered by a physician, face-to-face, during an interfacility transport of a critically ill or critically injured pediatric patient, 24 months of age or less; first 30-74 minutes of hands-on care during transport; and +99290, ... each additional 30 minutes [list separately in addition to code for primary service]). Because the AMA developed the codes for critical care services delivered by a physician, the work relative value units reflect the level of work a pediatrician, not a nonphysician practitioner (NPP), such as an NP, performs.
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