New Definition, New Patient – Ophthalmology Management

The American Medical Association, creator of the CPT Handbook, occasionally changes definitions in the book. In 2012, the definition of a new patient was changed, and this is creating more questions for practices. I’ll deal with some of the more critical ones here.

This article answers the following questions:

• What is the CPT definition of a new patient, and how has it changed?
• What about optometry and ophthalmology?
• What is the effect of two visits within a short timeframe?
• What other issues should we consider?

This article was published in Ophthalmology Management’s Coding & Reimbursement column, which is written by Corcoran’s Executive Vice-President, Suzanne Corcoran, COE. To view the entire article in Ophthalmology Management, click on the link below:

http://www.ophthalmologymanagement.com/articleviewer.aspx?articleID=107393