Wiki Can you bill discharge code (99238-99239) after LHC?

tdeforest

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Hi. So the pt. had a LHC done and the doctor discharge the pt. the next day. He spent more 35 minutes or more, can I code 99239 since it was done the day after the procedure and it was outpatient.

Thank You
 
Was the patient admitted as inpatient per physician order?.. Or was the patient placed in observation per physician order? Or did it just take that long for the patient to recover and be sent home.
 
Was the patient admitted as inpatient per physician order?.. Or was the patient placed in observation per physician order? Or did it just take that long for the patient to recover and be sent home.

the procedure was outpatient to begin with, it just took long for the patient to recover.
 
you cannot use a 99238 unless there had been an order to admit to inpatient. The same goes for outpatient observation. There must be an order in the chart to admit to observation. otherwise the recovery is part of the procedure.
 
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