Wiki Perinatal Emergency Treatment Unit

[dbreen]

We have a perinatal emergency tratment unit that is staffed and operated 24 hours a day. I am looking for some billing/coding help. When a patient arrives at our regular emergency department they are sent directly to the PET unit for evaluation and treatment. Are there any better codes than outpatient E/M (99201-99025 or 99211-99215)? Are we allowed to use emergency dept codes or after hours codes? After initial evaluation if further testing and monitoring is indicated and the patient is placed in observation status at the hospital, are the insurance companies paying observation codes?
Are there any classes that are specifically just for PET billing? I know it's a lot of questions but any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[sjackson]

You need to verify her status in the hospital. Some hospitals do have a PET that the consistues as in their ER. If not listed as an ER then, No you cannot bill for those codes. Plus only one provider may bill for the ER E/M codes. If they were evaluated in the regular (main) ER by anyone other than your provider and then transfered to the PET, then you cannot bill them either.

The case manager for the department should be able to better help understand her admit status.