Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Medicare stopped requiring ECGs for the IPPE (initial preventive physical exam). Does that mean I should report a CPT code (such as 93000, Electrocardiogam ...) when the cardiologist performs ECGs for IPPE patients? Michigan Subscriber Answer: If a physician sends a patient to you for a screening ECG as part of the IPPE, the appropriate ECG codes to choose from include: • G0403 -- Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with 12 leads; performed as a screening for the initial preventive physical examination with interpretation and report • G0404 -- ... tracing only, without interpretation and report, performed as a screening for the initial preventive physical examination • G0405 -- ... interpretation and report only, performed as a screening for the initial preventive physical examination. Although CMS no longer mandates the ECG as part of the IPPE, CMS does allow a once-in-a-lifetime screening ECG with referral from an IPPE. The physician or non-physician practitioner providing [...]