What should be reported if an inpatient admission occurs on the same date as observation care?

When an inpatient admission occurs on the same date as observation care, the appropriate codes to report are the initial inpatient care codes, which include 99221 to 99223. These codes are specifically designed to capture the complexity and intensity of the medical decision-making involved during the initial evaluation of a new patient admitted to the hospital.

In this scenario, when a patient is first admitted, the physician evaluates the patient and establishes the plan of care. These initial codes signify that the physician has performed a comprehensive assessment of the patient, which is essential for determining the patient's diagnosis and treatment plan.

In contrast, the other codes listed are intended for different circumstances. The codes in the range of 99234 to 99236 pertain to observation care, which covers patients who are under observation but have not yet been admitted. The codes 99291 and 99292 are reserved for critical care services and would not apply to a regular admission process. Meanwhile, code 99217 refers specifically to the discharge of a patient from observation care and is not suitable for reporting an admission.

Therefore, using 99221 to 99223 accurately captures the event of admission on the same day as observation care, highlighting the need for more complex and initial inpatient evaluation.