Reader Question: Supplies

Question: How can we receive reimbursement for needles and syringes we supply for allergy testing?

Montana Subscriber

Answer: You may report 99070 (Supplies and materials [except spectacles], provided by the physician over and above those usually included with the office visit or other services rendered [list drugs, trays, supplies or materials provided) for supplies such as needles and syringes used during allergy testing. Be advised that most insurers will consider the cost of the needles and syringes incidental to the primary service (they will not deem these supplies "over and above those usually included with the office visit or other services rendered"). Instead, Medicare and other insurers reason that these supplies are already included in the fees assigned to the allergy testing codes (e.g., 95015, Intracutaneous [intradermal] tests, sequential and incremental, with drugs, biologicals, or venoms, immediate type reaction, specify number of tests) and therefore will not reimburse separately for supplies. In some cases you may be able to contract with third-party payers for a small fee over and above that paid for testing to pay for supplies.