Wiki NP "incident to" question

[jtb57chevy]

Can you please advise the correct billing for the following scenario. Physician admits patient to in-patient status & follows up for several days. On the discharge day, a nurse prac sees the patient & performs the discharge day management – the physician does not see the patient. The nurse prac is not an employee of the physician's group, but is an employee of the hospital where the patient is being treated (the same hospital is the owner of the physician group). Can we bill the discharge day management under the admitting physician since the np is following the md's treatment plan (“incident to”)? I'd appreciate any light you can shed, as well as the supporting documentation.

 

[cpccoder2008]

Sorry but my mind is blank today. The NP is employed by the hospital and the physician group is not employed by the hospital but owned by them ??

 

[LLovett]

There is no incident to on the inpatient side.

You can have split/shared admits, sub care, and discharges but both providers have to provide a portion of the face to face service each time and document what they did for each service.

You can not bill anything for the discharge and since the NP is not your employee you would not be able to bill for split/shared visits either.

Laura, CPC, CEMC

 

[cheermom68]

I agree with Laura. "Incident to" is not allowed inpatient.