Both doctors and managers of medical practices are continuously searching for new ways to boost patient reimbursements. One of the ways in which medical offices lose money is because they do not always bill for the services that they have provided. Errors in coding are extremely widespread, and the most typical causes of these errors are misunderstandings regarding the appropriate application of particular codes and a general lack of familiarity with those codes.
The following three codes are examples of those that are frequently misunderstood or unfamiliar by billing and coding professionals, which results in large losses in potential revenue. The ability to understand the codes, as well as when and how to apply them, can bring in a respectable amount of additional revenue for billing practices.
Patients can frequently skip the line at their doctor’s office these days by phoning ahead and requesting to talk to their physician. This is mostly because of the increased volume of patients seeing their physicians. There are codes within the CPT manual that are designed expressly for reporting telephone services rendered by medical professionals, such as doctors and other certified healthcare professionals. These codes can only be used for already established patients because they are used for reporting E/M services that were performed over the phone.
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They are not valid for patients who come in for an in-person visit during the previous 24 hours, nor are they valid for calls referring to an E/M service that was performed within the previous 7 days. Time is another issue that must be taken into consideration because the codes change depending on how long the call lasts, time is another issue that must be taken into consideration.
- 99441: emergency medical treatment via telephone; five to ten minutes of medical discussion
- 99442: emergency medical treatment via telephone; 11-20 minutes of medical discussion
- 99443: emergency medical treatment via telephone, medical consultation lasting between 21 and 30 minutes
- 99058: Services delivered in an urgent or time-sensitive manner
Patients who were seen in an emergency setting are eligible to be coded with the 99058 diagnoses. When a patient visit requires rapid attention from the physician and causes a disruption to the office’s schedule, the staff at the practice might utilize this code. This discount code can only be used for visits made in person.
Evaluation of the potential hazards to one’s health
By calling ahead and asking to speak to their doctor, patients can usually avoid the line at their doctor’s office these days. The growing number of patients visiting their doctors is primarily to blame for this. There are specific CPT codes for reporting telephone services provided by medical professionals, such as doctors and other licensed healthcare professionals, that have been specifically created for this purpose. Because reporting E/M services that were provided over the phone is what these codes are meant for, they can only be applied to patients who have previously been established.
When medical professionals conduct a health risk assessment on a patient, with or without the presence of a caregiver or guardian, the code 96160 may be used. It can be utilized in the process of risk assessment for a wide range of diseases and disorders, including those related to mental health conditions. Providers should use code 96161 when conducting assessments with a focus on the caregiver.
Nowadays, patients can frequently avoid the line at their doctor’s office by calling ahead and asking to speak with their doctor. The majority of this is attributable to the rise in the number of patients visiting their doctors. The CPT handbook contains codes that are intended specifically for reporting telephone services provided by medical professionals, such as physicians and other licensed healthcare providers. Since they are intended to report E/M services that were provided over the phone, these codes can only be applied to patients who have already been established.
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