JUL 19, 2016
Hospital Consultation Billing
Question: By request, our physician saw a patient at the hospital. Since the inpatient CPT codes are for the admitting physician, what should we use for this Medicare patient?
Answer: It is best to use the 99221-99223 family of codes, based on what elements the physician performed for history, exam and medical decision making. The admitting physician is identified by modifier -AI so that the payer can process accordingly. Be sure to use the correct place of service, 21. The payer may also require the date of admission on your claim form.