Medicare Blog

why won't medicare pay for code 99387

by Maximilian Cole Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Regardless of what the exam is called, the CPT codes 99397 (established patient) and 99387 (new patient), which represent the preventive care examination, have very specific parameters and are never reimbursed by Medicare. The 99397 is defined as the following:

Regardless of what the exam is called, the CPT codes 99397 (established patient) and 99387 (new patient), which represent the preventive care examination, have very specific parameters and are never reimbursed by Medicare.

Full Answer

Is 99386 covered by Medicare?

Medicare Screening Services. Physicians are often confused about how to document and report preventive services provided to their Medicare patients. This document is designed to assist physicians in documenting, reporting and receiving reimbursement for these services. Medicare does not cover comprehensive preventive visits (99381-99397).

Does Medicare cover 99387?

Yes Medicare will not cover 99387 but you can get paid for it. Medicare allows you to bill the patient for a Routine Physical Exam 99387/99397. You just have to carve-out any payment from Medicare for G0101 and Q0091 from what you bill the patient for the 99387. We bill Medicare patient for the Routine Physical Exam all the time with now problem.

What does Procedure Code 99386 mean?

99386 - CPT® Code in category: Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an individual including an age and gender appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of laboratory/diagnostic procedures, new patient.

What is the Medicare CPT code?

  • Furnished in accordance with accepted standards of medical practice for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient’s condition or to improve the function of a malformed body member.
  • Furnished in a setting appropriate to the patient’s medical needs and condition.
  • Ordered and furnished by qualified personnel.

More items...

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What CPT code is 99387?

CPT® 99387 in section: Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an individual including an age and gender appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and ... more.

Does Medicare accept preventive codes?

Preventative Medicine codes 99387 and 99397, better known to offices as Complete Physical Exams or Well Checks for 65 and older, still remain a non-covered, routine service from Medicare. The Well Woman Exam codes G0101 and Q0091 are covered services.

What type of CPT codes are not accepted by Medicare?

Certain services are never considered for payment by Medicare. These include preventive examinations represented by CPT codes 99381-99397. Medicare only covers three immunizations (influenza, pneumonia, and hepatitis B) as prophylactic physician services.

What is not covered in annual wellness visit?

Your insurance for your annual wellness visit does not cover any discussion, treatment or prescription of medications for chronic illnesses or conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.

Is 99387 covered by Medicare?

A full physical 99397 or 99387 is NOT covered by Medicare and patients are responsible for the cost and can be billed. Some secondary insurance companies may cover the full physical exam, which helps beneficiaries.

Does Medicare cover preventive visits?

Medicare pays for many preventive services to keep you healthy. Preventive services can find health problems early, when treatment works best, and can help keep you from getting certain diseases. Preventive services include exams, shots, lab tests, and screenings.

What procedures are not covered by Medicare?

Some of the items and services Medicare doesn't cover include:Long-Term Care. ... Most dental care.Eye exams related to prescribing glasses.Dentures.Cosmetic surgery.Acupuncture.Hearing aids and exams for fitting them.Routine foot care.

How do I know if a CPT is covered by Medicare?

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. 3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to see if they have information on any related local or national coverage policies.

Why would Medicare deny a claim?

A claim that is denied contains information that was complete and valid enough to process the claim but was not paid or applied to the beneficiary's deductible and coinsurance because of Medicare policies or issues with the information that was provided.

What is the difference between an annual physical and a wellness visit?

An annual physical exam is more extensive than an AWV. It involves a physical exam by a doctor and includes bloodwork and other tests. The annual wellness visit will just include checking routine measurements such as height, weight, and blood pressure.

Does Medicare cover an annual wellness visit?

If you qualify, Original Medicare covers the Annual Wellness Visit at 100% of the Medicare-approved amount when you receive the service from a participating provider. This means you pay nothing (no deductible or coinsurance).

Is an annual wellness visit required by Medicare?

Medicare covers a “Welcome to Medicare” visit and annual “wellness” visits. While both visit types are available to Medicare recipients, recipients aren't required to participate in either visit type to maintain their Medicare Part B coverage.

What is the ICd 9 code for Q0091?

b. Per the CMS website, the ICD-9-CM Codes billable with the Q0091 are V76.2, V76.47, V76.49, V15.89, and V72.31. Select the appropriate codes. 3. 82270 Fecal Occult Blood Test.

What is preventive medicine code?

Preventive Medicine Service codes are defined by the CPT book as evaluation or reevaluation and management of an individual, including an age- and gender-appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of laboratory/diagnostic procedures.

What is an ABN for Medicare?

It also notifies Medicare that the patient acknowledges that certain procedures were provided and that the patient will be personally responsible for full payment if Medicare denies payment for a specific procedure or treatment.

What is a GY modifier?

3. GY Modifier: Notice of Liability Not Issued, Not Required Under Payer Policy. This modifier is used to obtain a denial on a non-covered service. Use this modifier to notify Medicare that you know this service is excluded.

How does capture billing work?

Capture Billing helps medical practices by reducing their insurance accounts receivable and getting claims paid faster, allowing doctors to focus on providing quality healthcare to their patients without the stress of doing their own medical billing.

Does Medicare allow G0438?

As we are all aware, Medicare now allows for the Annual Wellness Visit ( AWV) G0438 or subsequent AWV G0439, but how does this relate to an annual Well Woman Exam? IT DOESN’T.

Does Medicare change billing policies?

Medicare billing policies are constantly changing at CMS and with your local carrier, so before you do anything, check with them and your coding specialist to make sure you are billing correctly.

What is the CPT code for a routine physical?

Regardless of what the exam is called, the CPT codes 99397 (established patient) and 99387 (new patient), which represent the preventive care examination, ...

What happens if you get additional tests during the same visit that aren't covered under these preventative benefits?

If you get additional tests or services during the same visit that aren’t covered under these preventative benefits, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply.”. What is there in either a G0438 or G0439 exam that is not covered in a 99397 exam; and, why wouldn’t I just be billed for whatever a 99397 exam covers ...

Is a physical exam covered by Medicare?

It sounds like the cost may have not been explained. It is technically not the responsibility of the medical practice to explain the cost of the full physical exams, as it is a Medicare non-covered service by statute, but it sure would be a good idea to provide the patient with the cost information first, instead of letting them find out later that they owe money (and usually a substantial amount).

Is 99397 billed fraudulently?

Additionally, billing the 99397 ( not covered by Medicare) and billing the AWV at the same time is not fraudulent and can be billed if that is exactly what happened and the physician has the proper documentation.

Is 99397 covered by Medicare?

A full physical exam, 99397, is different than an Annual Wellness Visit, G0438/G0439, or “ Welcome to Medicare Exam ”, G0402. A full physical 99397 or 99387 is NOT covered by Medicare and patients are responsible for the cost and can be billed. Some secondary insurance companies may cover the full physical exam, which helps beneficiaries.

Do you pay for a preventative visit with Medicare?

I did a little research and discovered the following on the Medicare.gov web site under “Welcome to Medicare Preventative Visit” where it discusses “Your costs in Original Medicare”: “You pay nothing for the yearly ‘wellness visit if the doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment. If you get additional tests or services during the same visit that aren’t covered under these preventative benefits, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply.”

Does secondary insurance cover physical exams?

Some secondary insurance companies may cover the full physical exam, which helps beneficiaries. The decision for which service a patient should receive needs to be made prior to any exam as it determines the scope of the exam and the documentation needed for the exam.

When Medicare or another payer designates a service as “bundled,” does it make separate payment for the pieces of the?

When Medicare or another payer designates a service as “bundled,” it does not make separate payment for the pieces of the bundled service and does not permit you to bill the patient for it since the payer considers payment to already be included in payment for another service that it does cover. Coordination of Benefits.

What are the two resources that Medicare considers medically reasonable?

There are two resources to help you determine if Medicare considers services to be medically reasonable and necessary: national coverage determinations (NCDs) and local coverage determinations (LCDs). These documents provide information regarding CPT and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, ICD-10 codes, billing information, as well as service delivery requirements.

What is the modifier for ABN?

If an ABN is obtained, attach modifier -GA (waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case) to the line item (s) within the claim to indicate the patient has been notified.

What is CMS database?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers an online, searchable Medicare Coverage Database that allows anyone to freely search NCDs, LCDs, and other Medicare coverage documents. The database has quick and advanced search capabilities to search by geography, Medicare contractor, key words, CPT codes, HCPCS codes, and ICD-10 codes.

What does the -GX modifier mean?

The -GX modifier indicates you provided the notice to the beneficiary that the service was voluntary and likely not a covered service. -GY – Item or service statutorily excluded, does not meet the definition of any Medicare benefit or for non-Medicare insurers, and is not a contract benefit.

What are non covered services?

Medicare Non-covered Services. There are two main categories of services which a physician may not be paid by Medicare: Services not deemed medically reasonable and necessary. Non-covered services. In some instances, Medicare rules allow a physician to bill the patient for services in these categories. Understanding these rules and how ...

Is coordination of benefits a responsibility of health insurance?

All payers will demand that correct coordination of benefits be followed for claims payment. Medical services are not always the responsibility of a health insurer. Payment may be the responsibility of other entities, such as automobile insurance, workers’ compensation, liability insurance, etc. Likewise, if a patient has multiple health insurance coverage (e.g., Medicare and employer coverage), one health insurer may be primary, and the secondary insurer will not pay until the primary policy has paid. You should verify coordination of benefits in all cases of accident, injury, and when multiple insurance policies are involved.

What is CPT code 99381?

Preventive Medicine Services [Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes 99381-99387, 99391-99397, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code G0402] are comprehensive in nature, reflect an age and gender appropriate history and examination, and include counseling, anticipatory guidance, and risk factor reduction interventions, usually separate from disease-related diagnoses. Occasionally, an abnormality is encountered or a preexisting problem is addressed during the Preventive visit, and significant elements of related Evaluation and Management (E/M) services are provided during the same visit. When this occurs, Oxford will reimburse the Preventive Medicine service plus 50% the Problem-Oriented E/M service code when that code is appended with modifier 25. If the Problem-Oriented service is minor, or if the code is not submitted with modifier 25 appended, it will not be reimbursed.

What is a 99396?

99396 Periodic comprehensive preventive medicine reevaluation and management of an individual including an age and gender appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of laboratory/diagnostic procedures, established patient; 40-64 years

What is the ICD-9 code for EPSDT?

ICD-9 Diagnosis codes 99381–99385 or 99391-99395 The components of the EPSDT visit must be provided and documented. 99203–99215 The presenting problem must be of moderate to high severity. Documentation must support the use of modifier 25. V20.2 or V70.0 must be the primary diagnosis diagnosis code for the visit. Add the diagnosis codes for the presenting problem focused evaluation

What is the procedure code for a claim?

A claim with a procedure code that falls within the procedure code range of 99381-99384 or 99391-99394 must also contain the appropriate referral condition code NU, AV, S2 or ST in Form Item Number 24H shaded for paper on the CMS 1500 form or the SV111 segment with a CRC qualifier for EDI.

What age do you have to be to file a 99395?

A claim submitted with procedure codes 99385 or 99395 must meet the age requirement (ages 18-20), be billed with an EP modifier and contain the appropriate referral condition code NU, AV, S2 or ST.

What is the procedure code for mental health screening?

Providers must use procedure code 96160 or 96161 for the required mental health screening. Procedure codes 96160 and 96161 must be billed with the appropriate medical check-up procedure code. Only one procedure code (96160 or 96161) may be reimbursed once per lifetime.

Is prolonged care included in preventive medicine codes?

Prolonged services are included in (and not separately reimbursed from) Preventive Medicine codes.

How to contact Medicare for claims?

For questions about your Medicare claims, bills or costs, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

How many Medicare codes can you enter at once?

You may enter up to five codes at a time or a range of codes. You may also select either the national payment amount or a specific Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), as reimbursement rates can vary within specific localities.

What Is the Average Medicare Reimbursement Rate?

The Medicare reimbursement rate varies according to the service or item being provided as well as the type of health care provider that is delivering the care and other factors.

What is the coinsurance rate for Medicare Part B?

Looking up the reimbursement rates can also help you calculate how much you can expect to be billed for using the standard 20% coinsurance rate that applies to most services and items covered by Medicare Part B .

What is a CPT code?

CPT codes are the numeric codes used to identify different medical services, procedures and items for billing purposes. When a health care provider bills Medicare to seek reimbursement, they will use CPT codes to list the various treatments they delivered. The CPT codes used to bill for medical services and items are part ...

How many digits are in a CPT code?

CPT codes consist of 5 numeric digits, while HCPCS codes are an alphabetical number followed by 4 numeric digits.

How much does Medicare pay for coinsurance?

In fact, Medicare’s reimbursement rate is generally around only 80% of the total bill as the beneficiary is typically responsible for paying the remaining 20% as coinsurance. Medicare predetermines what it will pay health care providers for each service or item. This cost is sometimes called the allowed amount but is more commonly referred ...

What is CPT code 99381?

Preventive Medicine Services [Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes 99381-99387, 99391-99397, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code G0402] are comprehensive in nature, reflect an age and gender appropriate history and examination, and include counseling, anticipatory guidance, and risk factor reduction interventions, usually separate from disease-related diagnoses. Occasionally, an abnormality is encountered or a preexisting problem is addressed during the Preventive visit, and significant elements of related Evaluation and Management (E/M) services are provided during the same visit. When this occurs, Oxford will reimburse Preventive Medicine service plus 50% the Problem-Oriented E/M service code when that code is appended with modifier 25. If the Problem-Oriented service is minor, or if the code is not submitted with modifier 25 appended, it will not be reimbursed.

What is a 99381?

99381 – Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an individual including an age and gender appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of laboratory/diagnostic procedures, new patient; infant (age younger than 1 year)

What is the CPT code for a therapeutic injection?

Therapeutic Injections Office visits ( CPT codes 99201-99205; 99212-99215; 99381-99397) will not be separately reimbursed when submitted with therapeutic injections (CPT code 96372 ). Please append Modifier 25 to the disallowed E/M code if a significant separately identifiable E/M service was performed.

What is the CPT code for a problem based E/M visit?

Modifier 25 Modifier 25 may be used to indicate a problem-based E/M office visit (CPT codes 99201- 99215) that is significant and separately identifiable from a preventive office visit (CPT codes 99381-99397) on the same date of service. If Modifier 25 is appended correctly, both services are separately reimbursable.

When a physician furnishes a Medicare beneficiary a covered visit at the same place and on the same occasion?

When a physician furnishes a Medicare beneficiary a covered visit at the same place and on the same occasion as a noncovered preventive medicine service (CPT codes 99381- 99397), consider the covered visit to be provided in lieu of a part of the preventive

How much does a 99385 cost?

99385 – Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an individual including an age and gender appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of laboratory/diagnostic procedures, new patient; 18-39 years – Average fee amount – $120 – $ 150

When should a physician report CPT code?

Physicians should report CPT code, for developmental screening or other similar screening or testing, separate and distinct from the Preventive medicine service only when the testing or screening results in an interpretation and report by the physician being entered into the medical record.

What is Medicare Administrative Contractor?

The Medicare Administrative Contractor is hereby advised that this constitutes technical direction as defined in your contract. CMS does not construe this as a change to the MAC statement of Work. The contractor is not obliged to incur costs in excess of the amounts allotted in your contract unless and until specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer. If the contractor considers anything provided, as described above, to be outside the current scope of work, the contractor shall withhold performance on the part(s) in question and immediately notify the Contracting Officer, in writing or by e-mail, and request formal directions regarding continued performance requirements.

Does the revision date apply to red italicized material?

Disclaimer for manual changes only: The revision date and transmittal number apply only to red italicized material. Any other material was previously published and remains unchanged. However, if this revision contains a table of contents, you will receive the new/revised information only, and not the entire table of contents.

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