Reader Questions:
Check After-Hours Reason to Add 99050
Published on Fri Feb 27, 2009
Question: What are the parameters for charging for extended hours visits? Do the patients have to be walk-in, or do scheduled appointments qualify? North Carolina Subscriber Answer: Either situation may qualify for reporting 99050 (Services provided in the office at times other than regularly scheduled office hours, or days when the office is normally closed [e.g., holidays, Saturday or Sunday], in addition to basic service) in addition to the basic service, such as an office visit (99201-99215, "Office or Other Outpatient Services"). If a patient walks in after your normally posted office hours are over and the pedia-trician performs an office visit, you may use 99050, plus 99201-99215. To use 99050 for scheduled appointments, the appointment must be scheduled after your normal office hours. Example: A working mother calls in for an office visit for her child who has been complaining of throat pain and is now running a fever. [...]
