Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Psychiatric treatment as an urgent care model

Urgent message: Offering mental health services in an urgent care setting could facilitate treatment for conditions such as depression and help eliminate the stigma associated with psychiatric care. Introduction Consumers value urgent care for its on-demand access to medical treatment without waiting to schedule a doctor’s appointment and for its cost savings over hospital emergency rooms (ERs). While urgent care centers have historically focused on treating coughs, sniffles, cuts, scrapes, sprains and strains, the convenience …

Developing Data: July/August, 2014

These data from the 2012 Urgent Care Industry Benchmarking Study are based on a sample of 1,732 urgent care centers; 95.2% of the respondents were UCA members. Among other criteria, the study was limited to centers that have a licensed provider onsite at all times; have two or more exam rooms; typically are open 7 days/week, 4 hours/day, at least 3,000 hours/year; and treat patients of all ages (unless specifically a pediatric urgent care). A …

E/M for Sinusitis and Pharyngitis

Q. The clinic I work at uses 99214 for most patients (50%) for sinusitis and pharyngitis. Is this a common code to use for these problems? A. The E/M levels of services recognize sevencomponents: History Examination Medical decision making Counseling Coordination of care Nature of presenting problem Time The history, examination, and medical decision making are considered to be the key components in selecting a level of E/M service. Counseling, coordination of care, and the …

Expert Perspectives on Telemedicine in Urgent Care

Urgent message: Telemedicine—or “at-home” medicine—affords unique business opportunities to urgent care providers who can overcome barriers to adoption such as reimbursement. Introduction Telemedicine is a topic that frequently comes up among UCA’s membership as an area of interest. Some urgent care providers view telemedicine, or “at-home” medicine, as an opportunity; others see a threat. A lot of questions exist about telemedicine and with this roundtable, we’ve pulled together the unique experience of individuals who are …

What Are the ICD-9 Codes Most Used by Urgent Care Centers?

New vs. Established Patients, Medicare Exam, ICD-10 Delay

Q. A patient with Medicare as his primary insurance needs a physical and EKG for clearance for an MRI with sedation ordered by his neurologist. Symptoms are imbalance along with pain in the shoulder, neck, and upper spine. Can I use the pre-op code V72.81 because there is sedation even though there is no actual surgery? Or should I just get a signed Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) and expect a denial? A. Yes, you can …

The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All The Lawyers

DAVID WEIN, MD, MBA, FACEP, and DENNIS DIXON, MD I knew that would get your attention! Actually who Shakespeare was referring to in Henry VI was only the rare corrupt lawyer. Corrupt or not, the one thing lawyers have correct is that because their entire practice is “giving advice,” they rarely do it for free. Bad advice has consequences. I’m not trying to be Doctor Downer but in medicine and law, it’s called negligence. As …

An Urgent Care Operator’s Guide to Hiring and Managing a Lawyer

Urgent message: This article is a broad overview of how lawyers work and charge and what to do to avoid some of the most common pitfalls inherent in the attorney-client relationship. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice VelocitySuccess in business entails being prepared and there will be times when it’s unavoidably necessary for you, the urgent care operator, to engage the services of an attorney. From structuring and starting up the business, to reviewing and …

Practice Management