Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: We recently began operating an after-hours walk-in clinic for urgent conditions. Would it be correct to charge 99050 (Services requested after office hours in addition to basic service) or 99058 (Office services provided on an emergency basis) in addition to whatever service our pulmonologist provides during the patient's visit?

Kentucky Subscriber

Answer: No. The National Correct Coding Initiative created 99050 and 99058 to compensate a physician for the inconvenience involved in opening for a patient after business hours. Also, the codes represent the time and expense of keeping an office open past regular office hours, either for the patient's convenience (99050) or because the patient had an emergency (99058). If, as in your case, you elect to have extended hours to accommodate walk-ins or urgent care, neither of these codes would apply.

Even so, don't worry about any lost revenue: Medicare and most other carriers do not reimburse these codes. They consider these "bundled" services, and you should not report them separately.

- Answers for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were provided by Carol Pohlig, BSN, RN, CPC, senior coding and education specialist at the University of Pennsylvania department of medicine in Philadelphia.