Billing for separate services in a skilled nursing facility can be tricky - especially when Medicare considers them bundled physical therapy services.
But Medicare Transmittal 90, issued Feb. 6, swings the door open for billing for some physical therapy services as long as a physician performs them. When a physician bills for some cast and splint application services, including upper-body and extremity codes 29065-29280, it's considered surgery and separately payable, Medicare instructed its carriers.