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The coding expert answers your questions
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, a nationally recognized coding expert, will take your coding questions via email and provide guidance on how to code properly to maximize reimbursement. Have a question about coding? Send it here.
Telehealth: Frequently asked questions
Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded use of telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency, I’ve seen various follow-up questions coming from physicians. Here are the most common ones received and some guidance.
Q: How long can we continue using telehealth?
A: Private payers will set their own rules for the end date. For Medicare, telehealth is allowed until the end of the public health emergency. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II renewed the status of the public health emergency, effective April 26, 2020, for an additional 90 days.
Q: Can I bill Medicare annual wellness visits via telehealth?
A: Yes, you can bill the initial and subsequent Medicare wellness visits (G0438, G0439) via telehealth, but the Welcome to Medicare visit (G0402) is not on the list of telehealth services.
In fact, the wellness visits mentioned above may be billed with audio-only communications because of the expansion of telehealth services, although these visits require height, weight, BMI calculation, and blood pressure, and CMS has not issued guidance about whether the patient’s self-reported measurements are sufficient or whether they can be deferred.
Q: Can I bill an office visit via telehealth?
A: Yes, you may bill new and established patient visits 99201-99215 via telehealth, but for Medicare, these still require the use of real-time, audio-visual communications equipment.
Q: Can I bill an office visit conducted via telephone only?
A: For Medicare patients, you may not bill office visit codes for audio only communication. If there is audio only, use phone call codes 99441-99443. In order to bill an office visit, with codes 99201-99215 to a Medicare patient, audio and visual, real time communication is required. Some state Medicaid programs and private insurers allow office visits to be billed with audio equipment only, so check your state requirements.
Q: How do I select a level of office visit?
A: CMS’s announcement on March 31 relaxed the rules for practitioners to select a level of service for office and other patient services (99201-99215). CMS stated that clinicians could use either total time or medical decision-making to select a code.
If using time, count the practitioner’s total time for the visit, both face to face and non–face to face. It does not need to be greater than 50% in counseling. If using medical decision-making, history and exam are not needed to select the level of service. Medical decision-making alone can be used to select the code.
Q: Can I count the time it takes my medical assistant to set up the audio-visual communication with a patient?
A: No, you cannot count staff time in coding and billing a patient visit in this manner.
Q: Is there a code for a registered nurse to use for making phone calls with patients?
A: No, unfortunately.
Q: How do I know if a service can be billed with phone only?
A: These are indicated as “yes” on CMS’s list of covered telehealth services as allowed via audio only.
Providing mental health services during COVID-19
Q: I am a mental health provider who finds himself trying to provide the best care for my patients during this pandemic. How do I bill for behavioral health services if I am not able to conduct in-person visits?
A: Psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals can perform psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy over the phone during the public health emergency.
The use of real-time, audio-visual communication equipment is not required. This is one of the many changes CMS made in its interim final rule regarding COVID-19, released April 30.
Not only did CMS update the list of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes that could be reported via real-time, audio-visual communication, but it also added a column to guidance on covered telehealth services: “Can Audio-only Interaction Meet the Requirements?” The codes for psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy are indicated as “yes.”
In addition to psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and time-based psychotherapy codes, psychotherapy for crisis, family, and group psychotherapy can be done with audio-only technology.
CMS has issued multiple waivers and two major rules that greatly expand the ability of medical practices to treat patients without requiring an in-person visit. This latest change, allowing some services to be performed with audio equipment only, is remarkable.
For Medicare patients, report the place of service that would have been used if the patient was seen in person. This could be office (POS 11), outpatient department (POS 19, 21), or community mental health center (POS 53).
Some private payers require the place of service for telehealth (02). The lack of consistency between payers is difficult for practices. Append modifier 95 to the CPT code for all payers. The definition of modifier 95 is “synchronous telemedicine service using audio and visual communication.” However, as CMS added these services to the telehealth list, use modifier 95.
Have a coding question? Send it in and it may be answered in a future column. (Please be sure to note your specialty in the text of the question.)
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, is a consultant, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of CodingIntel.com, a library of medical practice coding resources.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.
The coding expert answers your questions
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, a nationally recognized coding expert, will take your coding questions via email and provide guidance on how to code properly to maximize reimbursement. Have a question about coding? Send it here.
Telehealth: Frequently asked questions
Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded use of telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency, I’ve seen various follow-up questions coming from physicians. Here are the most common ones received and some guidance.
Q: How long can we continue using telehealth?
A: Private payers will set their own rules for the end date. For Medicare, telehealth is allowed until the end of the public health emergency. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II renewed the status of the public health emergency, effective April 26, 2020, for an additional 90 days.
Q: Can I bill Medicare annual wellness visits via telehealth?
A: Yes, you can bill the initial and subsequent Medicare wellness visits (G0438, G0439) via telehealth, but the Welcome to Medicare visit (G0402) is not on the list of telehealth services.
In fact, the wellness visits mentioned above may be billed with audio-only communications because of the expansion of telehealth services, although these visits require height, weight, BMI calculation, and blood pressure, and CMS has not issued guidance about whether the patient’s self-reported measurements are sufficient or whether they can be deferred.
Q: Can I bill an office visit via telehealth?
A: Yes, you may bill new and established patient visits 99201-99215 via telehealth, but for Medicare, these still require the use of real-time, audio-visual communications equipment.
Q: Can I bill an office visit conducted via telephone only?
A: For Medicare patients, you may not bill office visit codes for audio only communication. If there is audio only, use phone call codes 99441-99443. In order to bill an office visit, with codes 99201-99215 to a Medicare patient, audio and visual, real time communication is required. Some state Medicaid programs and private insurers allow office visits to be billed with audio equipment only, so check your state requirements.
Q: How do I select a level of office visit?
A: CMS’s announcement on March 31 relaxed the rules for practitioners to select a level of service for office and other patient services (99201-99215). CMS stated that clinicians could use either total time or medical decision-making to select a code.
If using time, count the practitioner’s total time for the visit, both face to face and non–face to face. It does not need to be greater than 50% in counseling. If using medical decision-making, history and exam are not needed to select the level of service. Medical decision-making alone can be used to select the code.
Q: Can I count the time it takes my medical assistant to set up the audio-visual communication with a patient?
A: No, you cannot count staff time in coding and billing a patient visit in this manner.
Q: Is there a code for a registered nurse to use for making phone calls with patients?
A: No, unfortunately.
Q: How do I know if a service can be billed with phone only?
A: These are indicated as “yes” on CMS’s list of covered telehealth services as allowed via audio only.
Providing mental health services during COVID-19
Q: I am a mental health provider who finds himself trying to provide the best care for my patients during this pandemic. How do I bill for behavioral health services if I am not able to conduct in-person visits?
A: Psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals can perform psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy over the phone during the public health emergency.
The use of real-time, audio-visual communication equipment is not required. This is one of the many changes CMS made in its interim final rule regarding COVID-19, released April 30.
Not only did CMS update the list of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes that could be reported via real-time, audio-visual communication, but it also added a column to guidance on covered telehealth services: “Can Audio-only Interaction Meet the Requirements?” The codes for psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy are indicated as “yes.”
In addition to psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and time-based psychotherapy codes, psychotherapy for crisis, family, and group psychotherapy can be done with audio-only technology.
CMS has issued multiple waivers and two major rules that greatly expand the ability of medical practices to treat patients without requiring an in-person visit. This latest change, allowing some services to be performed with audio equipment only, is remarkable.
For Medicare patients, report the place of service that would have been used if the patient was seen in person. This could be office (POS 11), outpatient department (POS 19, 21), or community mental health center (POS 53).
Some private payers require the place of service for telehealth (02). The lack of consistency between payers is difficult for practices. Append modifier 95 to the CPT code for all payers. The definition of modifier 95 is “synchronous telemedicine service using audio and visual communication.” However, as CMS added these services to the telehealth list, use modifier 95.
Have a coding question? Send it in and it may be answered in a future column. (Please be sure to note your specialty in the text of the question.)
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, is a consultant, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of CodingIntel.com, a library of medical practice coding resources.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.
The coding expert answers your questions
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, a nationally recognized coding expert, will take your coding questions via email and provide guidance on how to code properly to maximize reimbursement. Have a question about coding? Send it here.
Telehealth: Frequently asked questions
Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded use of telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency, I’ve seen various follow-up questions coming from physicians. Here are the most common ones received and some guidance.
Q: How long can we continue using telehealth?
A: Private payers will set their own rules for the end date. For Medicare, telehealth is allowed until the end of the public health emergency. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II renewed the status of the public health emergency, effective April 26, 2020, for an additional 90 days.
Q: Can I bill Medicare annual wellness visits via telehealth?
A: Yes, you can bill the initial and subsequent Medicare wellness visits (G0438, G0439) via telehealth, but the Welcome to Medicare visit (G0402) is not on the list of telehealth services.
In fact, the wellness visits mentioned above may be billed with audio-only communications because of the expansion of telehealth services, although these visits require height, weight, BMI calculation, and blood pressure, and CMS has not issued guidance about whether the patient’s self-reported measurements are sufficient or whether they can be deferred.
Q: Can I bill an office visit via telehealth?
A: Yes, you may bill new and established patient visits 99201-99215 via telehealth, but for Medicare, these still require the use of real-time, audio-visual communications equipment.
Q: Can I bill an office visit conducted via telephone only?
A: For Medicare patients, you may not bill office visit codes for audio only communication. If there is audio only, use phone call codes 99441-99443. In order to bill an office visit, with codes 99201-99215 to a Medicare patient, audio and visual, real time communication is required. Some state Medicaid programs and private insurers allow office visits to be billed with audio equipment only, so check your state requirements.
Q: How do I select a level of office visit?
A: CMS’s announcement on March 31 relaxed the rules for practitioners to select a level of service for office and other patient services (99201-99215). CMS stated that clinicians could use either total time or medical decision-making to select a code.
If using time, count the practitioner’s total time for the visit, both face to face and non–face to face. It does not need to be greater than 50% in counseling. If using medical decision-making, history and exam are not needed to select the level of service. Medical decision-making alone can be used to select the code.
Q: Can I count the time it takes my medical assistant to set up the audio-visual communication with a patient?
A: No, you cannot count staff time in coding and billing a patient visit in this manner.
Q: Is there a code for a registered nurse to use for making phone calls with patients?
A: No, unfortunately.
Q: How do I know if a service can be billed with phone only?
A: These are indicated as “yes” on CMS’s list of covered telehealth services as allowed via audio only.
Providing mental health services during COVID-19
Q: I am a mental health provider who finds himself trying to provide the best care for my patients during this pandemic. How do I bill for behavioral health services if I am not able to conduct in-person visits?
A: Psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals can perform psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy over the phone during the public health emergency.
The use of real-time, audio-visual communication equipment is not required. This is one of the many changes CMS made in its interim final rule regarding COVID-19, released April 30.
Not only did CMS update the list of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes that could be reported via real-time, audio-visual communication, but it also added a column to guidance on covered telehealth services: “Can Audio-only Interaction Meet the Requirements?” The codes for psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and psychotherapy are indicated as “yes.”
In addition to psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and time-based psychotherapy codes, psychotherapy for crisis, family, and group psychotherapy can be done with audio-only technology.
CMS has issued multiple waivers and two major rules that greatly expand the ability of medical practices to treat patients without requiring an in-person visit. This latest change, allowing some services to be performed with audio equipment only, is remarkable.
For Medicare patients, report the place of service that would have been used if the patient was seen in person. This could be office (POS 11), outpatient department (POS 19, 21), or community mental health center (POS 53).
Some private payers require the place of service for telehealth (02). The lack of consistency between payers is difficult for practices. Append modifier 95 to the CPT code for all payers. The definition of modifier 95 is “synchronous telemedicine service using audio and visual communication.” However, as CMS added these services to the telehealth list, use modifier 95.
Have a coding question? Send it in and it may be answered in a future column. (Please be sure to note your specialty in the text of the question.)
Betsy Nicoletti, MS, is a consultant, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of CodingIntel.com, a library of medical practice coding resources.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.