Home Health & Hospice Week

Are you ready to use the new billing codes for home health therapist assistants starting next month?

Reminder: In the 2020 home health payment rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a decision allowing assistants to perform maintenance therapy in home health, which “would be consistent with other post-acute care settings, including Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs),” CMS noted in MLN Matters article MM11721. That meant new assistant therapy codes were required.

As of Oct. 5, the claims system will accept G2168 (Services performed by a physical therapist assistant in the Home Health setting in the delivery of a safe and effective physical therapy maintenance program, each 15 minutes), Short Descriptor (Svs by pt in Home Health) and G2169 (Services performed by an occupational therapist assistant …), Short Descriptor (Svs by ot in Home Health).

“Report G2168 with revenue code 042X on Home Health claims,” HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor CGS instructs on its website. “Report G2169 with revenue code 043X on Home Health claims.”