Wiki Preventive or Office Visit code

[rdenney395]

Ok I'm probably overthinking this but my doctors posed a question to me regarding whether or not a concern related to the patient's history (no symptoms) is preventative in nature or would this count towards an office visit. The example provided is a patient comes in with an extensive history of concussions due to playing professional football, they are currently experiencing no symptoms however they are still concerned due to their history. If the provider decides to do more testing is this more preventative visit or would it count towards an office visit code? I keep going back and forth in my head and need some guidance

 

[thomas7331]

If the patient has a concern or if there is a history that could pose a risk, that it not a preventive visit. Preventive visits are those visits and exams conducted at periodic intervals based on a patient's age and not for investigation of any particular symptoms or concerns.

Preventive care is primarily for the purpose of early detection of problems that the patient is not aware of that may have the potentially do develop into an illness at a later date - it's not for the diagnosis or treatment of known problems or risks.

 

[csperoni]

I second an office visit. Even though there are no symptoms, you are ordering the testing due to history of concussions, and not as a standard routine screening procedure.