I work for a student health service at a university. We have a unit that has been designated by our state board of health as an "infirmary". My boss thinks we can bill for Observation. My concern is that the heading in the CPT book says "Hospital Observation Services". Do we have to be a hospital? And if not, maybe we can also bill Inpatient.
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Wiki Observation in infirmary
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bwolfe1
Networker
Get clarification (in writing) from your State Board of Health for their definition of "Infirmary" for your facility. The word can have different meanings and can be used for any place that provides medical services and may have nothing to do with the the ability to "admit" patients.
Naveen Rachagolla
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Infirmary is also called as Hospital or a POS that is equavalent to hospital.
Under Heading Hospital observation Services in page.no. 13 of cpt, the second sentence of the first paragraph says ( it is not necessary that the patient be located in an observation area designated by the hospital).
and second paragraph says ( If such an area does exist in a hospital as a separate unit in the hospital, in the emergency department, ect. these codes are to be utilized if the patient is placed in such an area. This means POS doesent need to be a hospital, it can bea POS or unit that has beed setup by the hospital.
Under Heading Hospital observation Services in page.no. 13 of cpt, the second sentence of the first paragraph says ( it is not necessary that the patient be located in an observation area designated by the hospital).
and second paragraph says ( If such an area does exist in a hospital as a separate unit in the hospital, in the emergency department, ect. these codes are to be utilized if the patient is placed in such an area. This means POS doesent need to be a hospital, it can bea POS or unit that has beed setup by the hospital.
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mitchellde
True Blue
This means any bed in the hospital can be used for bservation, even an ICU bed. It takes a physician order for a patient to be in observation status. An infirmary in a student health clinic will not be allowed for observation or inpatient status. It is no different from a patient being observed for an extended period in the physician office.