Internal Medicine Coding Alert

Answer: Codes 99371-99373 are the correct codes to report telephone calls from the physician to the patient or other healthcare providers to discuss medical management of a patients condition and results of lab and other diagnostic tests, according to Sandy Page, CPC, CCS-P, co-owner of Medical Practice Support Services, a medical practice consulting firm in Broomfield, Colo. But not many payers reimburse separately for these services.

According to Section 5200.5 of the Medicare Carriers Manual, the services rendered by a physician directly to a patient over the telephone generally are not separately payable by Medicare. Most private payers have followed Medicares lead in this area and also will not reimburse separately for these services.