Otolaryngology Coding Alert

This reduction does not apply to audiologists- billed services

Don't worry about losing payment on diagnostic audiology services billed using an audiologist's number.

The February 2007 Otolaryngology Coding Alert reader question -Apply Incident-to Rules to Tech Audios- erroneously stated that Medicare imposes a payment reduction when audiologists bill services using their own identification number. The reduction applies only to claims billed under the number of a nonphysician practitioner (NPP) who is unable to bill Medicare independently for his services. Audiologists are able to bill  Medicare as independent practitioners and therefore receive 100 percent of the Medical Physician Fee Schedule payment.