Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

QUIZ:

Take This Timed Therapy Test

Question: Now that you have reviewed CMS- explanation of how to code timed therapy, see if you can properly code this scenario:

-  18 minutes of therapeutic exercise (97110)
-  13 minutes of manual therapy (97140)
-  10 minutes of gait training (97116)
-  8 minutes of ultrasound (97035).

Answer: The appropriate number of units you should bill is three. You would bill one unit each of 97110, 97116 and 97140. You cannot bill for the ultrasound because the total timed code treatment minutes constrains the total time you can bill. In other words, you may not bill four units for less than 53 minutes, regardless of how many services the therapist performs. You would still document the ultrasound in the treatment notes. (Example and explanation taken from CMS Transmittal 1019, Change Request 5253).

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