Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

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Medicare Puts Details of Annual Wellness Exams in Writing

Medicare creates new denial codes that will apply when you bill AWV incorrectly. CMS has released written guidance on how you can bill the new annual wellness visit codes, and if the agency's recent transmittal is any indicator, MACs are already expecting to process quite a few denials due to claims errors. CMS issued Transmittal 2109 in December, which offers the first comprehensive outline of how you can submit claims for the new annual wellness visits (AWV) that were created as part of the Affordable Care Act. Effective Jan. 1, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual health risk assessment starting the year after they first get their Welcome to Medicare (WTM) exam. No deductibles or coinsurance fees apply to the AWV. You'll report the AWV with either G0438 (Annual wellness visit, initial) or G0439 (Annual wellness visit, subsequent) as of Jan. 1, 2011. The AWV can [...]
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