Coding for Partial OB Care

Article

When we bill globally for obstetric patients we do not bill every individual visit. Rather, we bill the global charge for the delivery. But if a patient was seen in our office for all her prenatal care and then wasn't delivered by our doctor, how do I bill just for the prenatal care?

Question: When we bill globally for obstetric patients we do not bill every individual visit. Rather, we bill the global charge for the delivery. But if a patient was seen in our office for all her prenatal care and then wasn't delivered by our doctor, how do I bill just for the prenatal care?

Answer: Take a moment to review the codes in the Maternity Care and Delivery section of CPT (59000-59899).

You are right that a typical maternity case, in which the mother goes with one physician from antepartum care to delivery to postpartum care, is coded with a global code for everything.

However, there also are codes for just pre- and postpartum care. You should pick one of these, as appropriate, to bill for the care you provided:

59425 - antepartum care only; 4-6 visits.

59426 - antepartum care only; 7 or more visits.

59430 - postpartum care only (separate procedure).

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