CPT® 2012 Primer:
Start Checking Time Documentation Before Reporting Initial Observation
Published on Thu Nov 17, 2011
Pay attention to inpatient guidelines for coding help.When CPT® 2011 debuted the subsequent observation care codes 99224-99226 (Subsequent observation care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient ...), many coders were left scratching their heads at the fact that those new codes featured typical times associated with them, even though the initial observation care codes 99218-99220 didn't have typical times. Good news: The new edition of your CPT® manual, which takes effect on Jan. 1, will remedy that problem.Get to Know the Time DesignationsCPT® 2012 adds the following typical time guidelines:99218 -- ...Physicians typically spend 30 minutes at the bedside and on the patient's hospital floor or unit99219 -- ...Physicians typically spend 50 minutes at the bedside and on the patient's hospital floor or unit99220 -- ...Physicians typically spend 70 minutes at the bedside and on the patient's hospital floor or unit.The addition of typical times will open the door [...]