Primary Care Coding Alert

Just when you thought you grasped the CPT 2003 changes, CMS reverses its decision to establish new hepatitis B vaccine HCPCS Q codes (Q3021-Q3023) and reactivates the CPT versions (90740-90747). CMS issued transmittal AB-02-185 on Dec. 31, 2002, which rejected three 2003 HCPCS Q codes:

Q3021 Injection, hepatitis B vaccine, pediatric or adolescent, per dose
Q3022 Injection, hepatitis B vaccine, adult, per dose
Q3023 Injection, hepatitis B vaccine, immuno-suppressed patients (including renal dialysis patients), per dose. You should continue to report CPT codes 90740, 90743, 90744, 90746 and 90747 for these vaccines. Although Medicare will accept 90740-90747 starting Jan. 1, 2003, carriers will not accept the codes until April 1. For claims containing only hepatitis B vaccine codes with dates of service Jan. 1-March 31, you should hold the claims in your system and submit them in April. For claims containing additional services furnished on the same date, you may remove the vaccine charge and then submit an adjustment bill in April to receive payment for the vaccine CPT code. This way you can still receive prompt payment for the other services.