Pediatric Coding Alert

Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: How should I code for examining a newborn who was born at home but brought with the mom by ambulance to the hospital?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Code this the way you would for a baby born in the hospital. If the baby is normal, code the normal newborn code, 99431 (history and examination of the normal newborn infant, initiation of diagnostic and treatment programs and preparation of hospital records. [This code should also be used for birthing room deliveries.]). Code 99431 does not require that the examination be done in the delivery room. There is no special code for the initial exam of a baby that you are performing in the hospital. But if you go to the home to examine the newborn, use code 99432 (normal newborn care in other than hospital or birthing room setting, including physical examination of baby and conference[s] with parent[s]).