Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: An 18-year-old established patient met with our pediatrician to discuss an upcoming trip to Africa and what medications/vaccines the patient may need to prepare for the trip. I am thinking 99213 based on time. What diagnosis should I use? Georgia Subscriber Answer: The ICD-9 code choice is the easy part. Use V65.49 (Other specified counseling). For the CPT code, you could use an office code based on time, provided counseling and/or coordination of care comprises more than 50 percent of the physician-patient face-to-face time, and the documentation supports timebased coding. An office visit code, however, is problemoriented, and the insurer might kick out 99213 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient ... Physicians typically spend 15 minutes face-to-face with the patient and/or family), for instance, with a well V code. Option: If the insurer accepts the preventive counseling codes, a travel clinic [...]