Internal Medicine Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Get Ready for Medicare's Strict ABPM Coverage

Question: My internist has begun providing 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. How should I report this service?


Texas Subscriber


Answer: To receive Medicare reimbursement for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), you should report one of the following codes:

  •  93784 - Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, utilizing a system such as magnetic tape and/or computer disk, for 24 hours or longer; including recording, scanning analysis, interpretation and report
     
  •  93786 - ... recording only
     
  •  93788 - ... scanning analysis with report
     
  •  93790 - ... physician review with interpretation and report.

    Medicare will accept these codes only when the physician uses ABPM to test for white-coat hypertension. In this case, your primary ICD-9 code should be 796.2 (Elevated blood pressure reading without diagnosis of hypertension).
     
    Private carriers may have more lenient guidelines, so check with your commercial insurers regarding acceptable diagnosis codes.

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