Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Know what constitutes 'high risk' patients in CMS's view.You may have heard that Medicare now reimburses for your physician's work screening for sexually-transmitted diseases, but many practices were unsure of the coverage details. CMS aims to quell any confusion over this issue with a new transmittal that's sure to shed some light on how to collect for these services -- including the issuance of a new G code.Background: Effective Nov. 8, 2011, Medicare covers screening via lab test for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B when ordered by a primary care provider and performed by a Medicare-eligible provider in high-risk patients. You'll report the appropriate FDA-approved lab testing codes in compliance with CLIA regulations for these tests, said NGS' Medicare's Michelle Poulos during a Feb. 2 NGS webinar discussing Medicare preventive services.Importantly for Part B practices, CMS also covers high intensity behavior counseling (HIBC) to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) [...]