The initial hospital care codes include both __________ and __________ patients.

The initial hospital care codes specifically refer to the evaluation and management of patients at the time of their first admission to the hospital for a particular condition. These codes are designed to capture the physician's work in assessing and managing patients who are new to the hospital environment and have not received care in the same facility within a specific timeframe, typically within the past three years.

The term "new patients" applies to those who are being seen for the first time in that setting, while "established patients" would refer to those who have received care before but may be experiencing a new issue or complication. Coding for initial hospital care necessitates distinguishing between these types of patient encounters because they affect the level of complexity and care provided, which has implications for reimbursement and documentation requirements.

This classification ensures that healthcare providers are properly reimbursed for their services based on the complexity and time involved in caring for different patient scenarios, so it's critical in the context of coding guidelines.