Primary Care Coding Alert

Don't bill separately for vaccination supplies, intermediary warns. With fall comes flu season, and a round of questions about billing for flu vaccinations. Tip #1: Medicare covers only one flu vaccination per flu season per beneficiary, unless a physician notes in the medical record that an additional vaccination is reasonable and medically necessary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in an MLN Matters article about the vaccinations (SE1026, September 15, 2010). You can actually follow this rule and still vaccinate a patient twice in a single year. For example, a beneficiary could receive a flu shot in January 2010 for one flu season, then in November 2010 for the next flu season. Tip #2: Medicare pays for the vaccine and administration, regional intermediary Palmetto GBA notes in a frequently asked question on its website. "The cost associated with the syringe and supplies are included in the administration fee [...]