Frequently, bills are not submitted for follow-up visits for patients who h
ave been evaluated psychiatrically on medical-surgical services. There ofte
n is confusion regarding which procedure codes are most appropriate to use
in billing. To help the consultant understand the documentation requirement
s for various procedure codes, information from sever al sources was synthe
sized and distilled. This paper should help minimize documentation errors a
nd maximize reimbursement for clinical services. The authors have reviewed
available billing choices, and clarified the documentation requirements for
different procedure codes according to Medicare regulations. (C) 1999 Else
vier Science Inc.