Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) offers guidelines for services provided as concurrent care and services provided after a transfer of care. Concurrent care and transfer of care are important concepts in terms of coding and reporting services. There are 2 key points that should be understood about these services.
Concurrent care may occur in inpatient hospital or observation stays when more than one physician or QHP is providing care to a patient.
Per CPT instruction, only the attending, admitting, or supervising physician or QHP who is chiefly responsible for the patient’s care during a stay will report the initial service codes (eg, initial hospital care [99221–99223] or same date admission and discharge [99234–99236]). E/M services by other physicians and QHPs are reported as consultations (outpatient, 99241– 99245; inpatient, 99251–99255), subsequent hospital care (99231–99233), or subsequent observation care (99224–99226...