Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Our neurosurgeon receives nonemergent calls after 10:00 p.m. We are considering charging for after-hours calls. What CPT code should I use?

California Subscriber

Answer: Although telephone codes are available in CPT, they do not have published relative values and are poorly recognized by some payers, depending on the state you reside in.

First, the bad news: The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule applies the "B" status for telephone call codes, meaning that these are bundled services. Medicare considers payments for these calls included in E/M service reimbursement.

If you are charging for telephone calls, you should use 99371-99373 (Telephone call by a physician to patient or for consultation or medical management or for coordinating medical management with other healthcare professionals ...).

Remember: Before using 99371-99373, ask your major insurers if the plans will reimburse the services.

Some Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans are paying for after-hours calls.

For instance, BCBS of California pays $18 for a level-two call (99372, ... intermediate [e.g., to provide advice to an established patient on a new problem, to initiate therapy that can be handled by telephone, to discuss test results in detail, to coordinate medical management of a new problem in an established patient, to discuss and evaluate new information and details, or to initiate new plan of care]).

Protect yourself: The neurosurgeon must document the call. Reserve 99371-99373 for calls of substance, not just quick calls (those calls that a nurse could handle).