Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: Can I bill a discharge for a normal newborn?

Wisconsin Subscriber


Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.



Answer: Yes, you can bill CPT 99238 (hospital discharge day management; 30 minutes or less) or 92339 (hospital discharge day management; more than 30 minutes) for discharge of a normal newborn. These codes include the final exam, discussion with the parents, preparation of records, instructions for circumcision care, breast feeding discussions and other issues that come up during a discharge. Codes 99238 and 99239 have nothing to do with the childs health. Unlike other evaluation and management hospital inpatient services codes which require the elements of history, examination and medical decision-making the discharge day management codes are based purely on time.

CPTs introduction to the newborn care codes specifies that 99238 is the correct code for newborn hospital discharge services provided on a date subsequent to the admission date of the newborn.