Starting next month, you'll need to get more precise
Published on Wed Nov 03, 2010
Starting next month, you'll need to get more precise with your flu vaccine billing codes. For claims with dates of service Jan. 1 or later, CMS will no longer pay for general flu vaccine code 90658, the agency reminds providers in a new MLN Matters article. Instead, providers must use more specific Q codes: Q2035 (Afluria), Q2036 (Flulaval), Q2037 (Fluvirin), Q2038 (Fluzone), and Q2039 (Not Otherwise Specified flu vaccine). Payment delay: However, Medicare systems may not be ready to pay for those specific codes until Feb. 7. "CMS has instructed Medicare contractors to hold all claims containing the influenza Q codes ... until their systems are able to accept them for processing," the article says. The system also can't accept roster claims until Feb. 7, CMS says in the article at
www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7234.pdf.