Optometry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: I attended a conference recently and a speaker said that CMS is or will be requiring that billers be certified. I hadn't heard this information before. Is it correct?

Nevada Subscriber

Answer: At this time, CMS has no certification requirements for either billers or coders.

"CMS is not requiring any billing certification," confirms Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CENTC, CPCH, CPCP, CPC-I, CHCC, president of CRN Healthcare Solutions, a consulting firm in Tinton Falls, N.J. "Only one state -- and it is the state government -- Hawaii is requiring coding certification, not billing, when dealing with government claims, and this is not a CMS requirement."

In Hawaii, "the certification required is named as a coding certificate from AAPC, AHIMA, PHIA, or one similar," agrees Leslie Johnson, CCS-P, CPC, manager of coding, compliance, and education at Somnia, Inc. in New Rochelle, NY in New Rochelle, N.Y.

More information: You can read more about Hawaii's regulations by visiting http://hawaii.gov/lrb/legis02/passed02.pdf and searching for SB2290 SD1 HD1 CD1 (CCR 63-02).