When critical care services are provided in an outpatient setting, which codes are used?

Critical care services are specialized interventions for patients with life-threatening conditions that require constant attention and monitoring. In the outpatient setting, the appropriate codes to report these services are the specific critical care codes, which include 99291 and 99292.

Code 99291 is used to report the first 30-74 minutes of critical care provided, while 99292 is used for each additional 30 minutes of critical care beyond the initial time. These codes accurately reflect the acute nature and complexity of care when a patient is in a critical state, even if they are not admitted to a hospital but rather receiving immediate attention in an outpatient environment.

Other choices do not apply to the provision of critical care in an outpatient context. Emergency codes, while related to urgent care situations, are not specifically designated for critical care. General outpatient codes are typically for routine office visits and do not encompass the level of service required for critical care. Pediatric codes are relevant for patients who are children but do not specifically address the critical care services that may be provided, making them unsuitable in this scenario.

Therefore, the selection of critical care codes 99291 and 99292 is the most accurate choice when coding for critical care services delivered in an outpatient setting.