Code 99224 reports subsequent observation care. How is this code reported?

Code 99224 is specifically designed to report subsequent observation care, and it is billed on a per-day basis. This means that each day the physician provides observation care to a patient, the code can be reported as long as the necessary criteria and documentation requirements are met. In the context of subsequent observation care, each day represents a new encounter for the ongoing management of the patient's condition in the observation unit.

Reporting “per day” allows for appropriate billing of services rendered each day a patient remains under observation. This is crucial in ensuring that healthcare providers are compensated accurately for the continuous care they provide during a patient's stay in an observation status.

For clarity, while other timeframes, like per visit, per week, or per month, might be applicable in different healthcare settings or scenarios, they do not align with the specific structure and intent of the coding guideline for 99224. The coding convention for this type of care explicitly ties to daily encounters, emphasizing the need for accurate and timely documentation of services during a patient's observation period.