Connecting Coding and Policy: Providing Medical Care to Parents

When medical services are provided to adult patients by a pediatrician, the documentation, coding, and billing may differ from those for services provided to children. This article answers questions about medical services provided to a parent or adult caregiver of a pediatric patient, including the following: What is American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy on care of parents and caregivers for the benefit of the child? Can services provided to the parent be documented in the child’s medical record? Which services provided to the parent are appropriately documented in the child’s medical record and reported to the child’s health benefit plan? Which services require establishment of a medical record for the parent and billing to the parent’s health benefit plan?