# claims for discarded drug, i.e. propofol



## ilvchopin (Jul 15, 2010)

Does anyone know the correct way to code and bill out for discarded drugs since Medicare now says they will pay for the discarded amounts? do I make another line of claim with the same J code? What would the units and charge amount be?  I know I should use the JW modifier?  Is it enough to put the whole thing in the information box?
Thanks for any help.


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## gost (Jul 15, 2010)

This is my understanding of how to bill:

Only single-use vials are eligible for payment of discarded drugs.  You may "round up" and bill one unit for any partial unit administered.  I don't know the code for Propofol by heart and am too lazy to look it up so lets use an imaginary example.  Let's say you have a 50mg single-use vial of Happyphen.  

The doc administers 35mg to the patient and dicards 15mg.  (Impressive math skills without a calculator!)  Let's say the J code for Happyphen is for 25mg.  In this instance you can "round up" and bill for 2 units without a modifier.

But what if the doc only administered 25mg or less and discarded the rest?  Then you can bill for 1 unit without a modifier and 1 unit with -JW.

I believe there asre a few MACs who have their own billing requirements (some require all discarded drugs on a separate line, some don't require the -JW modifier, some want the claim form signed in the blood of your first-born child) and I think there are some other modifiers requiered if the drugs were purchased through the CAP program (which I think has been suspended).  

To be sure, check with your Medicare carrier on their billing requirements and no matter how you bill, make sure the discarded drug amounts are WELL-DOCUMENTED.  CMS started watching this closely last year because of wide-spread misuse.


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