# PT time units



## mcintaprl (Jan 12, 2010)

Can someone clarify for me whether it is 8 or 10 minutes for the minium to bill in 15 minute increments on PT codes??


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## Walker22 (Jan 12, 2010)

Here is a link to a CMS document concerning this issue.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/TherapyServices/Downloads/11_Part_B_Billing_Scenarios_for_PTs_and_OTs.pdf


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## LLovett (Jan 13, 2010)

Bottom line is it is 8 minutes. But the big issue is there are only 4 15min units in an hour so you have to be really careful that your therapist are not billing out more than that even if it is on different patients. Technically you could have 7 different patients for 8 minutes each in an hour but billing wise that would have you getting paid for 1 hr 45 min in an hour which is impossible. 

I am hoping you are asking because you just happen to have a few that fall short of the 15 min and you want to be sure it is ok to bill them. I came from a practice that when we audited the timed codes of one of the providers she had billed out 2 and 3 times the hours she even worked in timed codes alone. There were days she was only in the office 4 hours but billed 48 units of 97110. That is 12 hours. Obviously there were major issues in this office.

Laura, CPC, CPMA, CEMC


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## mcintaprl (Jan 14, 2010)

thanks for all the responses it really cleared the guidelines for me


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