Internal Medicine Coding Alert

Question: There was recently some discussion on a professional coding listserv about a new incident-to clarification from Medicare. Do you have any info on possible changes to incident-to coding?

Maine Subscriber

Answer: If you've been wondering when CMS would finally clarify some of the more sticky issues involved in incident-to coding, that time has come.

On May 2, CMS issued Transmittal 87, which revises the incident-to guidelines. The main revisions involve CMS' inclusion of nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) in much of the language.

For instance, where the policy previously referred to a "physician's services," it now notes that it refers to a "physician's/NPP's professional services."

You can find the new incident-to regulations on the CMS Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R87BP.pdf.

(Look for more information on this transmittal in future issues of Internal Medicine Coding Alert.)