Pulmonology Coding Alert

Length of observation period key to accurate reporting.When your pulmonologist places a patient under observation rather than admitting him/ her as an inpatient, you'll need to know which of two sets of codes to use. Use the advice that follows to apply observation services codes with ease and accuracy.Learn Timelines for Same Day DischargeWhen you report observation care services, you need to look hard at the time the patient was placed under observation.For patients placed under observation for a period lasting more than eight hours but discharged within the same day, you need to report observation codes 99234 (Observation or inpatient hospital care, for the evaluation and management of a patient including admission and discharge on the same date, which requires these 3 key components: A detailed or comprehensive history; A detailed or comprehensive examination; and Medical decision making that is straightforward or of low complexity. Counseling and/or coordination of [...]