# Phone calls



## jaldrich (Jan 17, 2008)

Are any of your office looking into billing the new telephone codes?  99441-99443.  Our CEO has asked the manager of billing and me as the CPC to research these codes.  It looks like there are a lot of limitations to using the codes (cannot be withint 7 days of an E/EM service, cannot result in a visit within 24 hours, or the next available urgent care, and that it's patient initiated).  These codes don't appear on the Medicare Fee schedule, but our CEO is investigating the idea of negotiating with our other payers.  Ideas on this?


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## thompsonsyl (Jan 17, 2008)

Hi,

I think that with the wording "face-to-face" time in most e/m descriptions, going after reimbursement for phone calls is going to be an uphill battle for your CEO.  Unless the phone calls are related to CPO and HHC, I don't believe that payors are going to be too swift to include them as codes for reimbursement....with that said, I wish you all the luck in the world because if you manage to overturn this, we all will benefit.

Good Luck!


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## Lisa Bledsoe (Jan 17, 2008)

I dread the day I'm asked this question!  Just because a code exists in CPT does not mean insurance will cover it.  Yikes!


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## jaldrich (Jan 21, 2008)

*Thank you*

Thank you for the responses.  I figured the concensus would be similar to that.  But, it's helpful to have people in agreement with me.


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## andi (Mar 20, 2008)

We are billing these codes and having a little bit of luck with it.  A few of our payers are paying and applying a portion to the patient's copay.   Andi


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