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Smoking Cessation Codes
I know I can use G codes to bill Medicare for smoking cessation. Can I use them to bill private payers as well? Also, if I see someone with bronchitis and charge a 99213 but also perform tobacco counseling, how would I code?
Question: I know I can use G codes to bill Medicare for smoking cessation. Can I use them to bill private payers as well? Also, if I see someone with bronchitis and charge a 99213 but also perform tobacco counseling, how would I code?
Answer: The G codes are for Medicare only, but many private payers will also reimburse if you use an ICD-9 code for tobacco dependence (305.1) with a CPT code for preventive risk counseling (99401-99404).
As for your second question, codes 99401 through 99404 serve “to report services provided to individuals at a separate encounter for the purpose of promoting health and preventing illness or injury. … These codes are not to be used to report counseling and risk factor reduction interventions provided to patients with symptoms or established illness,” according to CPT. However, you can recognize your counseling work when selecting an E&M level. Indeed, if counseling about risk factors constitutes more than 50 percent of the visit, you can designate an E&M code based on time. List in your documentation the time spent on counseling, noting specifically what you discussed.
Asset Protection and Financial Planning
December 6th 2021Asset protection attorney and regular Physicians Practice contributor Ike Devji and Anthony Williams, an investment advisor representative and the founder and president of Mosaic Financial Associates, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on high-earner assets and financial planning, impending tax changes, common asset protection and wealth preservation mistakes high earners make, and more.
Reducing burnout with medical scribes
November 29th 2021Physicians Practice® spoke with Fernando Mendoza, MD, FAAP, FACEP, the founder and CEO of Scrivas, LLC, about the rising rates of reported burnout among physicians and how medical scribes might be able to alleviate some pressures from physicians.
