Medicare Blog

what modifier do we use when billing physical therapy to medicare

by Leda Daniel Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Medicare requires that we bill modifier GP for PT and mod GO for OT on each line item of the claim.

KX Modifier

Full Answer

What are the rules for Medicare physical therapy?

  • Your physician must certify the physical therapy services as medically necessary.
  • Physical therapy is part of your home health plan of care that details how many visits you need and how long each will last.
  • Your plan of care must be reviewed and renewed (if appropriate) at least every 60 days.
  • A qualified homebound therapist provides services.

More items...

What is Kx modifier with Medicare?

KX Modifier Thresholds (formerly known as Therapy Cap Process) Under Medicare Part B, the annual limitations on per beneficiary incurred expenses for outpatient therapy services are commonly referred to as “therapy caps” now known as KX modifier thresholds. The KX modifier thresholds are determined on a calendar year basis, which means that all beneficiaries begin a new threshold amount each year.

Does Medicare accept PT modifier?

When modifier 59 is appended to a CPT code, it indicates that the service is separate and distinct from another service with which it would usually be bundled. The modifier allows the claim to pass Medicare bundling edits, resulting in additional reimbursement for the physician. Modifier 59 can be used to indicate a variety of situations including:

Is PT covered by Medicare?

Medicare-certified hospice care is usually given in your home or other facility where you live, like a nursing home. Original Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems that aren't part of your terminal illness and related conditions, but hospice should cover most of your care.

What are the two digit modifiers for PT billing?

What is the modifier for Medicare?

What is 59 modifier?

Do you need to add a GP modifier to Medicare?

Can you use modifier 59 on every claim?

Is a physical therapy clinic a business?

Can modifier 52 be used for untimed codes?

See more

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Does Medicare require modifiers for physical therapy?

There is one threshold amount for PT and SLP services combined and a separate threshold amount for OT services. Medicare will deny your claims for therapy services above these amounts without the KX modifier.

What is GN modifier for Medicare?

Modifiers GN, GO, and GP refer only to services provided under plans of care for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services. They should never be used with codes that are not on the list of applicable therapy services.

What is the 59 modifier for physical therapy?

Modifier 59 is used to identify procedures [and/or] services that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances.

What is the modifier for PT?

Every claim submitted by a PT, OT, or SLP requires a therapy modifier (GP, GO, GN). Since these services were provided by a PT, affix the GP modifier to the claim. Because a therapy assistant contributed to this care, the physical therapist assistant modifier (CQ) also comes into play (per CMS's 2022 proposed rule).

What is GT modifier?

What is GT Modifier? GT is the modifier that is most commonly used for telehealth claims. Per the AMA, the modifier means “via interactive audio and video telecommunications systems.” You can append GT to any CPT code for services that were provided via telemedicine.

What is KX modifier?

The KX modifier is a Medicare-specific modifier that indicates a beneficiary has gone above their therapy threshold amount.

Does Medicare accept modifier 59?

Modifier 59 is not going away and will continue to be a valid modifier, according to Medicare. However, modifier 59 should NOT be used when a more appropriate modifier, like a XE, XP, XS or XU modifier, is available.

What modifier should be used with 97140?

modifier -59The 97140 CPT code is appended with the modifier -59 or the appropriate -X modifier.

What modifier should be used with 97530?

59 modifier/Yes, you are permitted to bill 97530 with 97164 if you use the 59 modifier/X modifier. If you do not bill with the appropriate modifier, then 97164 (Column Two code) will be denied.

What is the difference between modifier PT and 33?

Modifier 33 is a valid CPT modifier and may be used for all payers. Check with individual payers for their instructions. Modifier PT is more specialized and will be used by fewer practices. It is a HCPCS modifier, used to indicate that a colorectal screening service converted to a diagnostic or therapeutic service.

When should modifier PT be used?

2) Append the –PT modifier to the CPT® code. The –PT modifier indicates a screening colonoscopy has been converted to a diagnostic test or other procedure. 3) Use an appropriate ICD-10 diagnosis code to indicate the procedure was a screening procedure.

What is modifier 97 used for?

Modifier 97- Rehabilitative Services: When a service or procedure that may be either habilitative or rehabilitative in nature is provided for rehabilitative purposes, the physician or other qualified healthcare professional may add modifier 97- to the service or procedure code to indicate that the service or procedure ...

Need Modifier for Physical Therapy Codes | Medical Billing and Coding ...

Hello, I need help billing Physical Therapy. The practice enters the charges and puts GP mod on all items. They said to put a 59 mod on 97112 when it was denied by medicare for B-15 -Service/Procedure requires that a qualifying service/procedure be recieved and covered.

QUICK GUIDE TO USING THE PTA MODIFIER

apta.org 01 American Physical Therapy Association. All rights resered. 1 Beginning January 1, 2020, CMS requires the use of the CQ modifier to denote outpatient therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant (PTA) in physical therapist (PT)

Coding Modifiers Table

20. . . or. . or. . .

1. The Scenario

A patient with patellofemoral pain seeks treatment. At the beginning of the patient’s appointment, the clinic PTA provides 13 minutes of therapeutic exercise (CPT 97110), after which the PT provides manual therapy (CPT 97140) for 22 minutes. Then the PT leads the patient through 15 more minutes of therapeutic exercise.

2. The Scenario

After recovering from a broken arm, a Medicare patient develops adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder and seeks treatment from a PT.

3. The Scenario

A Medicare patient receives a left total hip arthroplasty via a posterior approach and seeks post-op care from a physical therapist with a goal to discontinue the use of a straight cane with ambulation.

4. The Scenario

A Medicare beneficiary with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is seeing an occupational therapist to help manage their joint hyper-mobilization. Recently they purchased a wheelchair (per their physician’s recommendation), which the OT plans to help train them on.

5. The Scenario

A Medicare beneficiary is seeing a PT for a case of upper-cervical neck pain that they believe is triggering major headaches. They mention at the beginning of their appointment that they think they’ve surpassed their therapy threshold.

Spotlight

The Therapy Services webpage is being updated, in a new section on the landing page called “Implementation of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018”, to: (a) Reflect the KX modifier threshold amounts for CY 2021, (b) Add more information about implementing Section 53107 of the BBA of 2018, and (c) Note that the Beneficiary Fact Sheet has been updated.

Implementation of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

This section was last revised in March 2021 to reflect the CY 2021 KX modifier thresholds. On February 9, 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA of 2018) (Public Law 115-123) was signed into law.

Other

On August 16, 2018, CMS issued a new Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to reflect the changes of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Please find the document in the below Downloads section titled: “August 2018 ABN FAQs”.

What are the two digit modifiers for PT billing?

There are two overarching categories of PT billing modifiers: CPT modifiers: These are two-digit codes that apply to CPT codes. Level II HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) modifiers: These are two-letter codes used by Medicare as well as some Medicaid and commercial plans.

What is the modifier for Medicare?

This modifier indicates that a required Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) is on file for a service not considered medically necessary. It allows the provider to bill a secondary insurance for non-Medicare-covered services, and it also allows the provider to bill the patient directly. When you submit a claim containing this modifier, you should anticipate that Medicare will use claim readjustment reason code 50.

What is 59 modifier?

The 59 modifier signifies to Medicare that you performed a service or procedure separately and distinctly from another non-evaluation and management service provided on the same day. It’s a way to tell Medicare that payment for both services complies with the National Correct Coding Initiative. You can also use this modifier when you perform a procedure on a separate and distinct body part. (Note: There are subsets of the 59 modifier, including XE, XS, XP, and XU, which you can learn more about in this blog post .)

Do you need to add a GP modifier to Medicare?

Yes, you will want to append the GP modifier on most all of your Medicare claims. According to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, the GP modifier should be appended to the claim when therapy services are "delivered under an outpatient physical therapy plan of care.".

Can you use modifier 59 on every claim?

As for modifier 59, you should not apply it to every claim. It can only be used in very specific scenarios with very specific code combinations. (Learn more about modifier 59 here .) In the specific scenario you listed, you should append GP to the claim, but not modifier 59.

Is a physical therapy clinic a business?

The vast majority of PTs enter the field eager to help patients achieve their full functional abilities. That said, a PT clinic is still a business, and if you aren’t billing properly, it’s hard to keep your clinic afloat so you can improve the lives of the very patients you set out to help.

Can modifier 52 be used for untimed codes?

According to this ASHA resource, "CPT has modifiers to indicate time extremes, but they may be used only for untimed codes. Modifiers may not be used to bypass time requirements associated with timed codes.". So it would not be appropriate to use modifier 52 in the scenario you described. I hope this helps.

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