Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Question: Is there a code for live feed in back from an EMS transport team to the emergency room?

Answer: There is a CPT® code for physician direction of advanced life support for EMS emergency care, 99288 (Physician or other qualified health care professional direction of emergency medical systems [EMS] emergency care, advanced life support). However, because it is not a face-to-face service, Medicare does not pay for it and the code has zero RVUs assigned. There has been some recent evolution for new codes for telemedicine and non-face-to-face consultations so there might be some hope for future payment.

CPT® says “In directed emergency care, advanced life support, the physician or other qualified health care professional is located in a hospital emergency or critical care department, and is in two-way voice communication with ambulance or rescue personnel outside the hospital. Direction of the performance of necessary medical procedures includes but is not limited to: telemetry of cardiac rhythm; cardiac and/or pulmonary resuscitation; endotracheal or esophageal obturator airway intubation; administration of intravenous fluids and/or administration of intramuscular, intratracheal or subcutaneous drugs; and/or electrical conversion of arrhythmia.”