Question:
South Carolina Subscriber
Answer:
As long as the physician assistant's services meet a fewguidelines, you should be able to report his services as incidentto services. Make sure you meet the following criteria:As long as you can show that each of these items is true, your PA can provide the service and you can report the services under the dermatologist's name and provider identification number (PIN) when filing with Medicare.
Tip:
Most ancillary staff can provide incident-to services on behalf of an in-office, supervising physician. This could be a PA, medical assistant, registered nurse, certified nursing specialist, or nurse practitioner, among others.Typically, MAs and nurses will provide educational services and administer injections and level-one E/M services, while PAs and CNSs perform more extensive services such as higherlevel E/M visits or minor in-office procedures.
Benefit:
When a nonphysician practitioner uses the dermatologist's PIN to file the claim, Medicare will reimburse fully for the code. If the NPP uses his own PIN, Medicare pays only 85 percent of the code value.Caution:
Never report services rendered in a hospital setting -- either outpatient, inpatient or in the emergency department -- as incident-to. Medicare doesn't allow it. Also, if the physician doesn't see the patient and it is a new patient or new consultation, or the patient brings up a new problem that is not part of the plan from the physician, you must report it under the provider number for the NPP.