Length of stay, work-relative value units, hospital-acquired infections. There is no shortage of metrics—and their accompanying acronyms—that silo, summarize, and study whether hospitalists are...

Counseling and/or coordination of care with other providers or agencies are provided consistent with the nature of the problem(s) and the patient’s and/or family’s needs. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are of low severity. Physicians typically spend 40 minutes at the bedside and on the patient’s hospital floor or unit.

Dr. Zahir Kanjee (left) and Dr. Suchita Shah Sata educated—and entertained!—with their updates in hospital medicine. This year’s annual Update in Hospital Medicine transported learners to...

When consultation services occur in inpatient and outpatient settings, physicians report the code category that best corresponds to the patient’s registered status at the time of service:

Counseling and/or coordination of care with other providers or agencies are provided consistent with the nature of the problem(s) and the patient’s and/or family’s needs. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are of moderate to high severity. Physicians typically spend 110 minutes at the bedside and on the patient’s hospital floor or unit.

This engaging strategy session was led by two passionate speakers committed to optimizing hospital operations while prioritizing the well-being of hospitalists. They delved into various challenges,...

Regardless of location, consultants must meet each requirement before submitting a claim for these services. This article focuses on the coding and billing nuances of inpatient consultation services; outpatient consultations provided in the ED or during observation care will be addressed in a future issue.

Case An 86-year-old female with a history of metastatic pancreatic cancer and diabetes was admitted for chest pain and dyspnea and found to have an acute pulmonary embolism. The hospital...

Counseling and/or coordination of care with other providers or agencies are provided consistent with the nature of the problem(s) and the patient’s and/or family’s needs. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are self-limiting or minor. Physicians typically spend 20 minutes at the bedside and on the patient’s hospital floor or unit.

Counseling and/or coordination of care with other providers or agencies are provided consistent with the nature of the problem(s) and the patient’s and/or family’s needs. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are of moderate to high severity. Physicians typically spend 80 minutes at the bedside and on the patient’s hospital floor or unit.

These codes are used for new or established patients (those who have received face-to-face services from a physician or someone from the physician’s group within the past three years). The physician does not have to spend the associated “typical” visit time with the patient in order to report an initial hospital care code. Time is only considered when more than 50% of the total visit time is spent counseling/coordinating pat­ient care. See Section 30.6.1C, www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/downloads/clm104c12.pdf for more information about reporting visit level based on time.

Counseling and/or coordination of care with other providers or agencies are provided consistent with the nature of the problem(s) and the patient’s and/or family’s needs. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are of moderate severity. Physicians typically spend 55 minutes at the bedside and on the patient’s hospital floor or unit.

Reason and request: Consultants (physicians or qualified non-physician providers) are asked to give an opinion or recommendation, a suggestion, direction, or counsel in the treatment of a patient’s condition because the consultant has expertise in a specific medical area beyond the requesting professional’s knowledge.