May 5, 2022

Question:
What code do use when our pain doctor sees a patient in the emergency department for a consultation at the request of the ED physician? Our pain doctor treated the patient and discharged the patient from the ED.

Answer:
Since the patient was not admitted your physician to the hospital you code it as an ED visit, 9928x, when the payor does not recognize the consultation (9924x) codes.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 05/05/22