In simple words: This code is used when a patient sees their doctor within a week of leaving the hospital.

This code reports a follow-up visit that occurred within seven days of a patient's hospital discharge. Follow-up care typically includes reviewing medical history, checking current health status (including mental health), assessing changes in the patient's condition, monitoring for recurrence of previous issues, and identifying new problems.

Example 1: A patient discharged after heart surgery has a follow-up appointment with their cardiologist 5 days later. This visit is coded as G9405., A patient discharged after a pneumonia hospitalization is seen by their primary care physician 3 days later for follow-up care, coded as G9405., A patient who had a mental health crisis is seen in an outpatient clinic within 1 week following hospital discharge.

Documentation should include the date of the follow-up visit, the patient's condition since discharge, any new or recurring issues, and the treatment plan.