Question: Can I report a consultation if the physiatrist co-manages a patient's care?
South Carolina Subscriber
Answer: Depending on your level of co-management, you should be able to report a consultation for your services. For example, if your physiatrist performs an initial consultation for a stroke patient and then co-manages her rehabilitation with a neurologist, you can report a consultation for your first visit. Thereafter, however, you should report the subsequent office visit codes (99211-99215) when you evaluate the patient in your office.
Remember that you can only report a consultation code (99241-99245 for outpatients, 99251-99255 for inpatients) if the service meets all of the requirements. This means that you must maintain documentation of the request for your opinion, notes from your patient examination, and a copy of the written report that you sent to the requesting physician.
