Coding for Local Health Department Clinic & School Sites

1. Coding for Local Health Department Clinic & School Sites Presented by: Cynthia H. Robinson Kentucky Department for Public Health AFM/LHO July 2011

2. Table of Contents • Coding on the PEF • Determination of New or Established Patients • Coding of Preventive Visits • Components for coding “Other than Preventive E/M Visits” • Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients • Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients 7. Multiple Visits for the Same Patient on the Same Day

3. This presentation was done to aid employees of health department clinics in coding and reporting of services. It could not possibly cover all of the circumstances which occur in these clinics on a day to day basis. This presentation is intended to assist in the training of new employees and to refresh existing employees.

4. Guiding Principles • Only provide the level of care that is medically necessary per clinical judgment. • Always provide and document services in accordance with the Public Health Practice Reference and with established best practices. • Always code and document exactly what care was provided.

5. Coding on the PEF

6. Coding on the PEF The state-updated CH-45 (PEF) is used in most health department clinics. (Shown on next slide.) Some health departments prefer to create and use an abbreviated PEF at off site clinics (e.g. Flu Clinics & School sites). This is entirely permissible. Health Departments using their own forms are responsible for keeping these forms up-to-date.

8. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) – A set of codes, descriptions, and guidelines intended to describe procedures and services performed by physicians and other health care providers. CPT codes describe WHAT was done for the patient. International Classification of Disease 9th Revision 2009 (ICD-9) – This system is required for reporting diagnoses and diseases to all U.S. Public Health Service and Department of Health and Human Services Programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. ICD-9 codes describe WHY it was done. Codes

9. Examples of Codes CPT codes - WHAT ICD-9 codes - WHY • CLINIC SETTING: • 99211– Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient that may or may not require the presence of a physician. • 99393 – Periodic comprehensive preventive medicine – reevaluation & management of an individual late childhood (age 5 through 11 years) • SCHOOL SETTING: • 99212 – Office or other outpatient visit for the E/M of an established patient, which requires at least 2 of these 3 key components: History, exam, & medical decision making • V741 – Special Screening Examination For Pulmonary Tuberculosis • V202 - Routine Infant Or Child Health check • 7840 – Headache ; Facial Pain; Pain in head NOS

10. Coding E/M visits in health department clinics consists of: Preventive Visits E/M visits (e.g. well child exam, well woman checks) Evaluation/Management visits, which LHD’s commonly refer to as “problem visits” (e.g. supply visits, STD’s, cancer screenings) Coding E/M visits on the PEF

11. Preventive Visits (e.g. Well Child Exams) Top left corner of PEF 99381-99397 for Physicians/mid-level providers W9381-W9397 for Nurses Coding on the PEF

12. Coding on the PEF • Other E/M Visits (Problem Visits) • Top right corner of PEF • 99201-99215 for Physicians/mid-level providers • W9201-W9215 for Nurses

13. REMEMBER: 992 codes - for use by physicians and mid level providers only W92 codes - for use by nurses (RN’s) Coding on the PEF – Provider Level • Physicians and mid level providers code in the upper portion of the Preventive and Other Than Preventive Sections. • Nurses code in the lower portion of the Preventive and Other Than Preventive Sections.

14. Coding on the PEF- CPT codes CPT codes for lab tests, etc. that are done as part of the visit must be.... Checked in the appropriate box on the PEF OR, if the service is not listed on the PEF it should be written in the area provided

15. Coding on the PEF - ICD codes • ICD codes need to be written on the PEF in the section that corresponds with the office visit that was checked. • ICD codes will reflect why the patient presented. They are assigned based on the presenting problem(s) of the patient. • REMEMBER: ICD codes for LHDs must be five digits. If the code is 3 or 4 digits, add dashes to make the code 5 digits long.

16. Coding on the PEF - ICD codes • There is a box for a primary (P) ICD and a secondary (S) if needed. • For example...a 4 y/o established patient, receives preventive exam by a nurse (V202-) and also receives vaccines (V069-). • This would be coded on the preventive side of the PEF V202- √ V069-

17. ICD Codes In Health Department Sites ICD codes are revised annually and are effective on October 1 of each year. ICD9 is changing to ICD10 effective October 1, 2013. Many LHDs create their own listing of most commonly used ICD codes. REMEMBER: These lists must be updated annually.

18. Determination of New or Established Patients

19. New & Established Patients • The Patient Encounter Form (PEF or CH-45) distinguishes between New Patients and Established Patients: • New Patients visits are coded in the areas highlighted in PINK. • Established Patients visits are coded in the areas highlighted in BLUE.

20. New & Established Patients • NEW PATIENT - a patient who has not received a profession service (i.e., preventive, problem focused, or procedure) at any health department or satellite clinic in the COUNTY within the past three years. • Determination of new or established status is made on a COUNTY basis, not a district basis.

21. New & Established Patients • The PSRS (Patient Services Reporting System) determines whether the patient is new or established at computer registration when the PEF label is created. • The computerized registration process is generally not done at the satellite site itself, often making it difficult for the provider to know whether the patient is new or established.

22. New & Established Patients • If the provider cannot determine whether the patient is new or established by looking at the medical record, the provider should check the appropriate new patient level of visit and the appropriate established patient level of visit on the PEF. (See example on next slide.) • This will save time for the provider and for staff doing the data entry. The PEF will not need to be sent back to the nurse for determination of level of visit.

23. New & Established PatientsClinic Setting: If the system is down or off-site • Patient presents to nurse requesting pregnancy test: • Staff doing data entry should look at label to determine if it is a new patient or established, then... • Enter correct office visit • Mark through other visit V7241 √ √

24. New & Established PatientsSchool Setting: • Patient presents to nurse with headache... • Staff doing data entry should look at label to determine if it is a new patient or established, then... • Enter correct office visit • Mark through other visit 7840- √ √

25. New & Established Patients • Under NO circumstances should staff entering data change the level of visit to accommodate a new or established patient (unless that level was also marked on the PEF, as discussed in the previous slides). • The provider must determine the level of visit.

26. Coding of Preventive Visits

27. Coding of Preventive Visits • Preventive visits are reported when the patient receives a full preventive physical exam per the guidelines in the Public Health Practice Reference (PHPR). • Coding of these visits require three components: • New or established patient status • Age of patient • Completion of physical exam by protocols which are listed in the PHPR

28. Refresher on Existing Code • 82270 – Hemocult (fecal occult blood) qualitative; feces, consecutive collected specimens with single determination, for colorectal neoplasm screening(i.e., pt was provided 3 cards or single triple card for consecutive collection The description of this code includes all three cards, therefore it would only be coded one unit for this test. Pt has to bring back at least one to three cards to be able to code 82270.

29. Components for coding “Other than Preventive E/M Visits” Commonly Referred to as “Problem Visits” in Health Department Settings

30. Components of Problem Visits • Problem Visits are made up of three components which are directly linked to the coding of these services. • History-consists of a combination of three parts: • History of present illness • Review of systems • Past, family and social history • Exam • Decision making • These three components are the driving forces behind the coding of Problem Visits. • Understanding these three components is extremely important in accurate coding of problem visits.

31. History • Subjective – documentation that is reported by the patient. • Comparable to the “S” (subjective) portion of the SOAP note • Combination of three components – • History of present illness – what the patient reports as problems, symptoms, time frames, etc. • Review of systems – what body systems are affected by the presenting problems • Past, family and social history – what past, familial or social influences there might be on the seriousness and resolution of the problem

32. Exam • Objective – what the provider notes when assessing the patient • The exam is comparable to the “O” (objective) portion of the SOAP note • The exam portion will be discussed in detail in the Coding ofProblem Visits -New Patients section of this presentation

33. Decision Making • The decision making component consists of three parts... • Presenting problem management options • Comparable to the “A” (assessment) portion of a SOAP note. • After looking at the patient history and performing exam as needed, the assessment of what the patient’s problem(s) are

34. Decision Making • Diagnostic procedures ordered • Provider must decide what, if any, diagnostic procedures should be done • Management options selected • What treatment the patient should receive • The last two parts combined are comparable to the “P” (plan) portion of a SOAP note

35. Coding of Problem Visits New Patients

36. Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients • American Medical Association (AMA) rules require that you have documented some of each of these components for new patients: • History • Exam • Decision making • The AMA rules state that you must code Other E/M Office Visits for new patients to the lowest of these three components. By lowest of these three components, they mean the component which has the least impact on the visit. • Should you be missing one of the three components on a new patient, an 80000 code will have to be used. • This code gives you no reimbursement and no Work Resource Based Relative Values. So the time spent with this patient will be as though it never happened.

37. Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients • The exam component will be the lowest of the three components 99% of the time. • New patients should be coded by the amount of exam performed (which are commonly referred to as “exam bullets” because this is how they are identified in CPT classification).

38. Exam – New Patients • The five most common bullets are: • General Appearance/Nutritional Status. (Although these appear on two lines of the HP/CH-13 and HP/CH-14 exam forms, they only count as one bullet.) • Mood and Affect • Orientation • Skin (2 bullets possible) • Inspection – looking (e.g. pink, tan, intact) • Palpation - touching (e.g. warm, dry) • Vital signs can be used as an exam bullet also, but three vital signs from the following list MUST be done for it to count as a bullet: • Sitting or standing blood pressure • Supine blood pressure • Height • Weight • Temperature • Pulse • Respiration

39. Exam – New Patients A complete list of exam bullets can be found in the 1997 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation & Management Services (developed jointly by the AMA & HCFA).

40. Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients • Following is a list of the number of exam bullets that corresponds to the level of office visit to code for new patients: • 1 to 5 exam bullets = 99201 or W9201 Brief • 6 to 11 exam bullets = 99202 or W9202 Expanded • 12 to 17 exam bullets = 99203 or W9203 Detailed • 18 to 23 exam bullets = 99204 or W9204 Comprehensive • A comprehensive office visit has the same requirements as full preventive visit (per the preventive guidelines in the PHPR). If this level of exam is performed, the provider should look at coding a full preventive exam on the patient. • 24 or more bullets = 99205 or W9205 Complex • Comprehensive and Complex levels of new patient visits should seldom occur in a health department site. These have been addressed here in case of rare emergencies.

41. Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients The AMA expects medical providers to do a more thorough exam, within reason, on a new patient to provide a good base line for future visits (see 907 KAR 3:130).

42. Coding of Problem Visits – New Patients • Remember to have some History, some decision making, however the Coding for new patients is directly related to the amount of exam bulletsperformed, as it’s usually the lowest component in HD. • Count the number of exam bullets and code accordingly.

43. Coding of Problem Visits Established Patients

44. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients • To code a Problem Visit for an established patient, the AMA requires that only two of the three components be documented. • History • Exam • Decision making • The visit should be coded by the lowest of the two components.

45. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients • The level of visit chosen for established patients will be driven by the lowest of either the history component or the medical decision making component. • Exam performed should be what is required by protocol and medically necessary.

46. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients (Clinic) 99211 and W9211 Brief No history is taken Decision making is minimal No ROS (review of systems) Examples: Negative TB skin test reading (NEVER write a SOAP note for a negative TB skin test reading. That raises the level of visit and is never medically necessary.)

47. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients (School) 99211 and W9211 Brief No history is taken Decision making is minimal No ROS (review of systems) Examples: Daily Rx or OTC medication administration to patients who have: One stable chronic illness well controlled (minimal risk) i.e. Ritalin, Tegretol, Singulair One previously diagnosed acute uncomplicated illness or injury (minimal risk) i.e. amoxicilin, eye drops

48. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients (Clinic) • 99212 or W9212 Limited • Requires at least 2 of these 3 key components; • Problem specific history; • Straight forward decision making; • ROS • Patients who have one or more self-limited or minor problem(s) • Examples • Supply Visit (no complaints or problems) • STD Visit (no problems or negative results) • Head lice (either suspected or found)

49. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients (School) • 99212 or W9212 Limited • Requires at least 2 of these 3 key components; • Problem specific history; • Straight forward decision making; • ROS • Patients who have one or more self-limited or minor problem(s) • Examples • Headache • Upset stomach • Head lice (either suspected or found) • Earache • Menstrual cramps • Daily Rx or OTC medication administration with a complaint/problem i.e.: Ritalin, Singulair, amoxicilin

50. Coding of Problem Visits – Established Patients (Clinic) • 99213 or W9213 Expanded • Requires at least 2 of these 3 key components; • Expanded problem focused history; • Expanded problem focused examination; • Decision making of low to moderate complexity • Examples • Pt to receive depo – wt gain 5 lb since last visit, c/o occasional headaches – counseled & depo adm. • Positive TB skin test reading • Positive STD visit with treatment • Daily Rx medication administration to patients who have one stable chronic illness w/o problems (i.e. DOT – Communicable Disease)