Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: A patient called during the weekend and left a message for our physician asking for phone care. It was seven days after her previous related E/M. Because she left the message on the office machine on a Sunday, we didn't get the message until Monday (day eight). Can we bill for that phone call? Codify Subscriber Answer: You can report the phone call eight days after the related E/M service with the phone care codes (99441-99443, Telephone evaluation and management service provided by a physician to an established patient, parent or guardian not originating from a related E/M service provided within the previous 7 days nor leading to an E/M service or procedure within the next 24 hours or soonest available appointment ...). The charge is possible because it is not within the seven days of the previous E/M. It is the date of the telephone service, not the [...]