Wiki New Patient?????

[llsimmons0824]

Situation:
Dr. A recently joined our group from another practice. It is within the same specialty. If Dr. B, one of our group docs, sees a patient that is new to Dr. A's new group, is the patient considered new? I understand that if they see Dr. A, they would be considered established, but in the instance above, would they be considered new since Dr. B has not seen them?

 

[tadavis]

if dr A is billing under a new tax id# and new practice(even if it is within the same specialty) then I would think that the patient would be considered a new pt

 

[FTessaBartels]

They are established patients

Any of Dr A's patients that follow Dr A to the new practice are considered ESTABLISHED patients (as long as Dr A has seen them within the previous 3 years). Even if they wind up seeing Dr B in the new practice because Dr A is not available, they are considered established.

Ditto for any of the established patients of the practice, and Dr A (who is new to the practice and has personally never seen these patients before) sees them ... they're still established.

The rule is a patient is established if the patient has been seen by the provider or any other provider of the same practice and same specialty within the last three years.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC