AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) — Question 127

The patient is admitted to observation status, at 10:00 am in the morning, with sharp chest pain when breathing. The physician performs the following:
Number and Complexity of Problems Addressed at the Encounter - Moderate
Amount and/or Complexity of Data to Be Reviewed and Analyzed - Low
Risk of Complications and/or Morbidity or Mortality of Patient Management - Moderate
The patient was discharged home from observation status at 10:00 pm on the same day. Discharge diagnosis is costochondritis.
What E/M coding is reported?

Answer options

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D, 99232, as it corresponds to a moderate complexity encounter during the observation period. The other options either represent higher complexity levels or incorrect codes that do not align with the described patient management and circumstances.