observation status

When a patient is in the hospital under observation status and they have traditional medical assistance how do you code for the H & P and then the discharge?

re: observation status

Match the status of your codes to the facility's status.

If inpatient status, use 99221--99223, 99238 or 99239 for the discharge on a different calendar date.

If OBS status, use 99218--99220, discharge 99217, different calendar date.

For either status, admit and discharge same calendar date, use 99234--99236. Patient must be seen twice, two notes for that service. To use those codes for Medicare, patient must be in the hospital 8 hours.