FAQs about coding in urgent care centers

Medical coding in urgent care centers can be quite complex. Our coders frequently answer questions about urgent care coding for customers. In order to help you with coding in your urgent care, we have placed some of our answers online for educational purposes. Feel free to click on the links below to see answers about specific issues.

Click here to ask a question about urgent care coding

• S9088: Services Provided in an Urgent Care Center: This S code allows urgent care centers to code and get reimbursement for the extra expenses involved in providing urgent care services.
  
  
• S9083: Global Fee for Services Provided in an Urgent Care Center: This S code allows the urgent care center to receive reimbursement at one flat rate for all visits coded with it. Find out how and when to use this code.
  
  
• Is Your Urgent Care Center a Type B Emergency Department: Type B emergency departments must use evaluation and management (E/M) codes and must follow EMTALA guidelines. Find out if your urgent care center is classified as a Type B emergency department.
  
  
• Coding Cerumen Impaction (CPT = 69210): How does one code for ear wax impaction?
  
  
• Wart Destruction (CPT = 17110): How does one code for wart destruction?
  
  
• Facility Codes in Urgent Care: When can you use facility codes in an urgent care clinic? This page answers when you can use facility codes for hospital-based, free-standing, and joint venture clinics
  
  
• Codes for the Influenza Vaccine 2006-2007: Are you confused by the new products, new NDC codes, and when to use G0008, CPT codes 90471 or 90473? This page reviews the coding of influenza vaccines for 2006-2007.
  
  
• National Provider Identifier (NPI): Get your urgent care center ready for the National Provider Identifier (NPI).
  
  
• When can you code an E/M Code Plus Procedure Code in Urgent Care?
  
  
• Level 1 E/M Code 99211: How do you code and document a 5-minute visit of an established patient who does not even need to see the doctor?
  
  
• Services Rendered During Extended Hours (CPT = 99051): Find out how your clinic can obtain additional revenue for serving patients on evenings, weekends, and holidays.
  
• 99053: Is your urgent care eligible to use the code that 24-hour facilities use to obtain reimbursement for services provided late at night?
  
• E/M Code + IV Injection Procedure Code? Find out whether or not you can bill an E/M code in addition to the procedure code when you perform an intravenous injection.
  
  

Note: This information is for coding educational purposes only and should not be used as a clinical guide or as a guide for any specific coding scenario. The user of this information specifically releases Practice Velocity, LLC from any liability or potential liability that might arise as a direct or indirect consequence from reading the information contained on this website.

Some of this information may be expanded from the Coding Q&A column by David Stern, MD, CPC (CEO, Practice Velocity, LLC) published monthly in the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Physicians may click on the JUCM icon to the left to order a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to the Journal.

Practice Velocity Urgent Care Solutions is the leading provider of software for charting, coding and billing in urgent care centers in the USA. Click here to request information about Practice Velocity's automated charting and coding solutions for urgent care.