Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: We have a group of hospitalists making rounds at different times throughout the day. Can they combine their critical care time for the entire day even though we-re reporting services by different physicians (they have the same tax ID number)? Or should each physician bill his critical care time individually?


Kansas Subscriber

Answer: Each physician must submit claims in his own name with the times he saw the patient. If one of the physicians sees the patient at different times during the same day, you can add the segments and report one total amount of time for that day.

Report critical care services with 99291 (Critical care, evaluation and management of the critically ill or critically injured patient; first 30-74 minutes) and +99292 (... each additional 30 minutes [list separately in addition to code for primary service]).

Answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions answered by Daniel Fick, associate professor of family medicine at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.