Primary Care Coding Alert
Know the Meaning of 'Immediately Available'
Question: If the doctor has to leave the room for a few minutes during a procedure performed in a teaching physician (TP) setting, does that mean that we cannot bill under TP guidelines? Arkansas Subscriber Answer: The new teaching physician rules aren't quite that stringent. As long as the TP is immediately available to return to the procedure, the TP does not have to be physically present for non-key portions of a procedure lasting more than five minutes. For example, the resident is performing a level-four evaluation and management service on an established 5-year-old patient under TP supervision. The TP gets an urgent call from his son and leaves the room for three minutes while the resident is monitoring the patient's vital signs, then returns for the rest of the visit. You should: Remember: Procedures that last less than five minutes or procedures that require opening or closing the surgical field as a key component still require the TP's physical presence for the entire procedure.
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Know the Meaning of 'Immediately Available'
Question: If the doctor has to leave the room for a few minutes during a [...]
