Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Plus: CMS gives hospices extra time to comply with new requirements.

 

 

You’re probably just getting comfortable with your new edition of HCPCS 2010, but you’ll have to make a few changes to ensure that your manual is completely accurate.

CMS recently issued the list of corrections that you should make to your HCPCS 2010 book, including the following changes:

• Change the descriptor for C8923 to "Transthoracic echocardiography with contrast, or without contrast followed by with contrast, real-time with image documentation (2D), includes M-mode recording, when performed, complete, without spectral or color doppler echocardiography"

• Change the description of C8928 to "Implantable neurostimulator electrode, each."

To read the complete list of changes, visit the CMS Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/HCPCSReleaseCodeSets/ANHCPCS/list.asp.

In other news ...

 

• Hospices have an extra three months to get up to speed on a new claims reporting requirement for physicians.

In a November Transmittal, CMS instructed hospices to put the certifying physician’s National Provider Identifier (NPI) in the "Other physician" field. The attending doctor would go in the usual attending physician field.

Now CMS is making that reporting change optional until April 1, the agency says in Dec. 23 Transmittal No. 1885 (CR 6540). Starting with claims with dates of service April 1 or later, the requirement will be mandatory.

Tip: "Both the attending physician and other physician fields should be completed even if the hospice physician certifying the terminal illness is the same as the attending physician," CMS says in a related MLN Matters article.

To read Transmittal 1885, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/downloads/R1885CP.pdf.

 

• Effective May 1, you have a new place of service (POS) code to use for walk-in retail health clinics.

CMS discussed new POS code 17 (Walk-in health clinic, other than an office, urgent care facility, pharmacy, or independent clinic and not described by any other POS code, that is located within a retail operation and provides, on an ambulator basis, preventive and primary care services) in MLN Matters article MM6752.

To read the article, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6752.pdf.