Wiki Inpatient consult or outpatient

[napahny@aol.com]

Please somebody clarify this for me:

I work at long term psychiatric Inpatient facility, where all the patients being seen by verity of specialists at the clinics located on the hospital ground. Clinic doctors are employees of the hospital.

My question is, if patient with inpatient status seeing a doctor for consultation, is the consultation be considered as outpatient or inpatient?

I know this may sound confusing, but I have a hard time finding any reference on what should I bill these visits, are they considered outpatient or inpatient ?


Any response will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Mariam Gabrielian, CPC

 

[rleuken2k]

Inpatient/Outpatient

Bill them as inpatient. Even though the physicians are coming there to see them they are still inpatients. I hope that helps.

 

[napahny@aol.com]

Inpatient/Outpatient

Thank you for your response. That answer what I was hoping for.

 

[cinful]

If the patients are going to the clinics to see the physicians and the clinics are not licensed as part of the hospital, the service would be coded and billed as an outpatient.

If the doctors see the patients in their rooms, in a group therapy room, or in an area licensed as part of the hospital (eg: OP clinic), the service would be billed as an inpatient.