Confused on low, moderate, high cpt

I get quite confused as to how to explain what makes a visit low, moderate, high in reading whats listed as what elements are needed i need it broken down in simpel form, for example patient present with appendicitis which i have heard mild case as well as serve..I was asked by my phys. "pt. come in appendicits" is that a low, mod, high..i told him that if the work up was straight forward and no additional work up done outside of the element for a low billing a low level is correct but if the appendicitis was difficult and other issues arised due to the appendicitis then the visit can either be mod or high depending on how servere..Any thoughts

Every visit is a high level visit

if you let the docs decide. A surgeon called to see a 20 yr old patient with appendicitis is low level. A 90 year old with heart failure, on warfarin and home oxygen would get you complex. But again it depends on documentation in many cases. If all the surgeon writes is "Called to see pt- take to OR" as a consult, no matter what the history, its low level.

The CPT book used to have examples in the front for various visit levels- don't know if it is still there.

low, moderate, high

So you saying even with a detailed HIP and exam it still will be low..and decision to operate?

Hurry Editor!

Save me- quote the rules on medical decision making! I left my booklet at home.

medical decision making

There are a number of articles about MDM in Codapedia, happily, so I don't have to re-type it at all:
Here's one on the point system and the three components of MDM.

http://codapedia.com/-article_370_.cfm

Here's a previous Q&A forum thread, with a great, long answer from Nancy Maguire discussing medical necessity and MDM

http://codapedia.com/-article_373_.cfm

and another:

http://codapedia.com/-article_294_.cfm