In the CPT book under all of the Critical care codes it states "..per date, per patient.." The CPT code for prolonged services should read per date per patient and doesn't. I never thought about adding them up at the end of the day. If you use too many prolonged service codes per day a red flag is going to go up. I seem to remember that the prolonged code used to be used only on the highest level code per section. The logic was that adding a prolonged code on to a lower level would, if the documentation supported it, lead you to the next highest code. My memory may be on the decline so I may be uttering nonscence, but I still have a tiny alarm in my head going off about this. Is there any concrete evidence regarding how many times you can use this code in one day? It doesn't say per patient. The amount of time attached to E/M's is an estimate, we all agree on that right? What if in the specialty of Neurology the average time is 1 hour for the lowest level, you are then limited to 7 to 8 patient's a day and if they all required prolonged service you could possibly be at work for 13 to 15 hours per day. Everyone is agreeing with you and I probably should as well but again that little alarm is going off.