Practice Management Alert

Aetna announced that it is partnering with Healthline Networks to roll out a personalized health and health benefits search engine called Aetna SmartSource. According to Aetna's press release, SmartSource is "a search engine that takes into account specific information about each user's gender, age, ZIP code, healthcare plan and employer, as well as information stored in their PHR [personal health record]." The payer is piloting the program with several preselected customers this year.

On May 2, CMS issued Transmittal 87, which clarified the incident-to guidelines. CMS made it clear that this was not a revision to the guidelines, but rather a clarification. The main clarifications involve CMS- inclusion of nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) in much of the language. This is due to CPT and CMS adding NPPs into so many aspects of coding and billing -- for example, the 2008 modifier descriptions.

For instance, where the policy previously referred to a "physician's services," it now notes that it refers to a "physician-s/NPP's professional services." You can find the new incident-to regulations in the transmittal on the CMS Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R87BP.pdf.