Doctors and practice administrators are always looking for how to maximize profits. As a coding/billing consultant, chart auditor, and educator, I’m often asked about ways to improve coding. Here are three codes that I find are often misunderstood, underused, or unknown. Practices that know about these codes—and how to use them—may be able to earn additional reimbursement.
99441-99443: Telephone services
Doctors’ offices are busy places, and it isn’t unusual for patients to call in asking to speak with the doctor. CPT offers codes to report telephone services provided by a physician or other qualified health care professional who may report evaluation and management (E/M) services. These codes can only be reported for an established patient and are not billable if the call results in the patient coming in for a face-to-face service within the next 24 hours (or next available urgent visit). These calls are also not billable if they refer to an E/M service performed within the last seven days. The codes are selected from code range 99441 to 99443 and are based on the time spent: 5-10 minutes, 11-20 minutes, or 21-30 minutes, respectivel
