Palliative Care Z515

fentona@bronsonhg.org

I am reaching out in hope someone can provide information about the use of this code in inpatient situations.  We were visited by Health Grades this week and told we are the only facility they see exclusively using this code for "end of life care", "comfort care", "home w/ hospice", "terminal wean from vent", and "terminally ill patients". Our inpatient coders have based this decision on Coding Clinic 3rd quarter 2010 Comfort Care.

Our Health Grades representative says that all other systems they see are using code Z515 when palliative care is being used in chronic condition management regardless of code status.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Amy Fenton, R.N.

Clinical Documentation Specialist

Bronson Healthcare Group

Patient Safety and Quality

269-720-6650

evanspx@sutterhealth.org

Did u get my message?

fentona@bronsonhg.org

Yes Paul, Thanks!!

sarthakthanawala

I would appreciate any guidance too. I have the same questions in mind as Amy wrote above. 

buchanso@slhs.org

evanspx@sutterhealth.org said:

Did u get my message?

Hello-
I also would appreciate guidance on tthe question posed by Amy on the use of Z515.

Thank you,
Sona