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Psychiatry Coding Alert

CPT® Coding Strategies:
Improve Your Group Psychotherapy Claims Using This Expert Advice
Hint: Use G codes for Medicare patients in partial hospitalization programs. When your... Read more
News You Can Use:
Watch Out! These E/M Coding Errors Could be Tripping Up Your Claims
CMS finds improper E/M payment rate to a tune of 14.0 percent. Don’t forget to c... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Observe Simplified Reporting For Delusional Disorder With F22
Hint: List of exclusions is similar to ones used in ICD-9. When reporting a diagnosis ... Read more
Reader Question:
Reporting Same Session 99407 and E/M? Can This be Done?
Question: I am billing 99407 with 99213 and getting denials. I have used the modifier 25... Read more
Reader Question:
Check Appropriate Modifier Use For Unbundled CPT7reg Codes
Question: If I cannot find my two codes paired together in the CCI edits, how do I know ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Planning on EMDR? Check With Your Payer First
Question: We have this new psychiatrist who plans on performing EMDR to patients sufferi... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Put Your ECT Reporting on Track With This Guidance
Hint: Don’t report the pre-treatment evaluation with an E/M code as a norm. When... Read more
Compliance:
Know What RACs Are Looking For in Your E/M Reports
You could be the next target for audits by overlooking these common errors. While repo... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Hit Your BDD Dx Target With F45.22
Hint: Use different diagnosis code for delusional dysmorphophobia. When reporting a di... Read more
Reader Question:
Know the Components of a Psychiatry-Specific ROS
Question: I am new to psychiatry coding. As psychiatry coding is now allowing the use of... Read more
Reader Question:
Select The Right Code For Same Day Admission and Discharge
Question: One of our physicians admitted a patient to the hospital at 10:30 a.m., and la... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Don't Expect Separate Hospital Reimbursement For 96103
Question: The question is in regards to CPT® code 96103 and a hospital sight of serv... Read more
CPT® 2014 Update:
Update Your E/M Code Lists With New Interprofessional E/M Codes in 2014
Plus: Don’t forget to add the new Category II codes to existing PQRS measures. W... Read more
Physician Signatures:
3 Tips Highlight Signature Rules and Exceptions
Analyze CMS’s requirements or you risk the wrong use of signatures. If you&rsquo... Read more
Clip and Save:
Consider This Sample Signature Attestation Lingo
Novitas Solutions, the Part B MAC for eight states, says that although CMS does not requ... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Cheer for a Simple One-to-One Transition For Postconcussion Syndrome
Don’t forget: Use additional code to report post-traumatic headache, if present. ... Read more
Reader Question:
Know When Marital Counseling is a Covered Diagnosis
Question: If our psychiatrist is providing therapy for a husband and wife, how do I repo... Read more
Reader Question:
Count Time When Clinician Discusses Treatment Options
Question: My psychiatrist did a counseling session with the parents of a minor regarding... Read more
Reader Question:
Use Symptoms To Support Tests When Final Diagnosis is Unavailable
Question: I’ve been told that if the treating physician orders a test based on a s... Read more
Reader Question:
Note That Provider is Responsible Irrespective of Who Chooses E/M
Question: One of our psychiatrists allows his medical assistant to choose his E/M codes.... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Reporting Higher E/M Code for Suicidal Patients? Not so Fast
Question: Our psychiatrist performed an E/M service and noted suicidal ideation during t... Read more
CPT® 2014 Update:
Add New E/M Consult Codes to Your Coding Arsenal
Good news: Common TCM guidelines will rid confusion while reporting transitional care. ... Read more
CCI 19.3 Update:
Reporting Telehealth Pharma Management With Psychiatry Codes? Not So Fast
Don’t forget to check modifier indicator to see if you can override bundling. If... Read more
Back to Basics:
Discern Between New vs. Established Codes by Using The 3-Year Rule
Hint: The place of service won’t be the deciding factor. Whenever you are report... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Get Better Specificity For Schizoaffective Disorder With F25
More options will now help describe the diagnosis accurately. When your psychiatrist a... Read more
Reader Question:
Report Two Face-to-Face Encounters
Question: Our psychiatrist saw a patient in the office, and then admitted her to the hos... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Forget to Document Who Makes Amendments
Question: If and when the patient’s electronic health medical records needs to be ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Check CCI Edits For Epidurals and E/M Depending on DOS
Question: I have provided continuous epidurals for my patient and injected different con... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Ace Your Psychodiagnostic Evaluation Reporting With This Advice
Hint: New guidelines allow reporting more than one unit of 90792 for extended evaluation... Read more
Key Elements:
Get the Deserved Reimbursement by Selecting Appropriate E/M Guidelines
Hint: You don’t have to select the same E/M guidelines for every encounter. Whil... Read more
Clip and Save:
Keep This Chart Handy to Determine Exam Levels Accurately
Select the guidelines that will carry the best advantage to your coding. With two sets... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Enjoy Clear Distinction for Rett's Syndrome With F84.2
If your psychiatrist specializes in treating patients with childhood developmental or di... Read more
Reader Question:
Thinking of Reporting 90791 and 90792? Not so Fast
Question: A psychiatrist from our practice saw a patient first and performed an initial... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Planning Reporting Crisis Management With Psychodiagnostic Evaluation? Think Again
Question: Our psychiatrist recently reviewed a patient for depression. He conducted a th... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Get on Top of Your Diagnostic Evaluation Coding With This Guidance
Look out for opportunities where you can add an interactive complexity component. When... Read more
Money Matters:
Differentiate Between Individual and Group PQRS Reporting to Ethically Boost Your Bonus
Hint: Use number of providers in your group to cue into right options. If you are a mu... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Hold Fast to F44.1 For Dissociative Fugue Diagnosis
Hint: Fugue in epilepsy is captured with a different code. As we are slowly nearing th... Read more
Reader Question:
Thinking of +90785 With E/M? Not So Fast
Question: Our psychiatrist recently assessed a five-year-old boy for autistic disorder. ... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Club E/M and Psychotherapy Services Provided
Question: If one of our psychiatrists is performing the evaluation and medication manage... Read more
Reader Question:
Know if Performance Measures Comply With Standard Measures
Question: My organization collects data on several performance measures such as length-o... Read more
Reader Question:
Follow EOB Specifics or You Might Land up in a Soup
Question: We have a patient who wants us to directly bill her allowable charges for a pr... Read more
Reader Question:
Know How Vital Signs Add up to Physical Examination
Question: Would you please explain how taking the vital signs contribute to determining ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Check if You Can Report 90792 For Assessing Change in Patient Status
Question: Our psychiatrist recently reviewed a patient for depression. The patient has b... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Get Paid Higher When Interactive Complexity Complicates Psychiatry Services
Hint: The add-on code for interactive complexity is not a time-based code. When your c... Read more
Key Elements:
Sift Through PFSH Details or Lose More Than $70 Per Encounter
Hint: Don’t forget including history captured in previous visits. If your psychi... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Rely On Separate Distinction for Asperger's Syndrome With F84.5
Single code removes the confusion of identifying active/residual states. When you begi... Read more
Reader Question:
Check Payer Rules When Handling Psychotherapy Services With E/M
Question: For all the patients seeking services in our psychiatry practice, we provide&n... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Use Therapy Codes For Evaluation Services
Question: When our psychiatrist sees a young patient, he’ll generally perform the ... Read more
Reader Question:
Patient Not Honoring ABN? Here's How to Get Them to Pay
Question: We have a patient who came for a service we knew Medicare wasn’t likely ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Consider Services Provided to Differentiate Between Crisis Psychotherapy and E/M
Question: I am new to psychiatry coding and am confused about a couple of the new codes ... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Segregate Time Components to Choose Appropriate Add-on Psychotherapy Code
Hint: Add minutes spent on services to family too. To accurately report the CPT® 2... Read more
E/M Key Elements:
Cash in on Higher Level E/M Opportunities With Thorough ROS Documentation
Hint: Enlighten your clinician about the importance of documenting negative responses. ... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Ease Your Bulimia Nervosa Diagnoses with F50.2
Hint: Distinguish from anorexia nervosa of binge eating or purging type to nail the diag... Read more
Reader Question:
Avoid Confusion Over Separate Services by Different Specialists
Question: If a patient sees our psychiatrist to see if any changes in the drug regimen i... Read more
Reader Question:
Get Clarity on Billing Add-on Codes for Psychiatry
Question: I have been coding for our psychiatry practice for some years now and do not h... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing 90792 for All Clinicians? Not So Fast
Question: As clinical psychologists and clinical social workers are not allowed to repor... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know When You can Bill More Than one Unit of 90791 or 90792
Question: Our psychiatrist will sometimes perform initial psychiatric diagnostic evaluat... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Count Minutes, Separate Services When Reporting Psychotherapy Codes
Hint: Don’t overlook services provided to the patient’s family. To correc... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
F34.1 Allows Smooth Sailing For Dysthymia
Hint: Check exclusions list to avoid wrong diagnosis. When your clinician diagnoses dy... Read more
Money Matters:
Use This 4-Prong Approach To Recoup Untapped Profits
Reduce the April 1 sequestration reduction pinch. If your practice is feeling the imp... Read more
Reader Question:
Base Pharmacological Management on Complexity of Service
Question: I understand that we now have to use an E/M code to report medication manageme... Read more
Reader Question:
Know When You Can Report Two Psychotherapy Codes For Same Patient
Question: If our psychiatrist sees a patient and performs psychotherapy for 45 minutes f... Read more
Reader Question:
Non-Par Medicaid? Charge the Patient
Question: We have recently had an influx of patients presenting with a commercial insura... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Adding Time Spent on Documentation? Think Again
Question: Our psychiatrist spends time before he meets any patient to review records and... Read more
CPT® 2013 Strategies:
Advice Helps You Apply New Crisis Psychotherapy Codes
Look at individual payer policies to confirm reimbursement for these codes. CPT® 2... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
F34.0 Allows Straightforward Crossover For Cyclothymia in ICD-10
Hint: The inclusions and exclusions lists are also similar to corresponding ICD-9 code. ... Read more
Ordering/Referring:
Use This 6 Step-Strategy To Cut "Ordering/Referring" Edit Losses
Tip: Have a look at your referring info or face reduced profits after May. If you have... Read more
Reader Question:
Tread Lightly With 90863 for Pharma Management
Question: I was earlier using 90862 for pharmacological management when our psychiatrist... Read more
Reader Question:
90792 or an E/M? Don't Get Confused
Question: When our psychiatrist sees a new patient and performs a psychodiagnostic evalu... Read more
Reader Question:
Use Initial Hospital Care Codes for Doctors From Different Specialties
Question: Doctor A admits patient from assisted care facility. Dr. B does the H & P ... Read more
Reader Question:
Account for Medical Necessity in E/M Code Selection
Question: Our psychiatrist is a very thorough documenter. Because he documents his EMR s... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Extremely Long Psychotherapy Sessions - Here's What You Need to Do
Question: Our psychiatrist has been conducting sessions that last more than one hour. Si... Read more
CPT 2013 Strategies:
Avert Payer Denials For New Psych Codes With These Pointers
Researching the new rules is the key. If coping with learning the new codes for psycho... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
F43.1 Enhances Reporting Options for PTSD
Hint: Don’t code diagnosis of adjustment disorder under F43.1. When you begin us... Read more
Practice Management:
Use This 8-Prong Approach To Successfully Hire The Right Coder
Half your concerns about billing will be reduced by finding the person that fits the bil... Read more
Reader Question:
Understand Patient Co-payment Subject to Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Limitation
Question: I am new to psychiatry coding having taken over the work at our psychiatrist&r... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Downcode to Receive Higher Reimbursement for Psychodiagnostic Evaluation
Question: I was going through the RVUs allocated to the newly introduced codes in psychi... Read more
Reader Question:
Document Variation of Your Provider's Signature
Question: We’re having trouble making sure our providers meet signature requiremen... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Differentiate the Use of Psychotherapy and Family Psychotherapy Codes
Question: The new codes for psychotherapy include time spent during psychotherapy with a... Read more
CCI 19.0 Update:
Pay Attention to These Psychotherapy Crisis Code Bundles
Hint: Check modifier indicators to see if bundles can be overridden. The new CPT® ... Read more
2013 Payment Update:
Fee Schedule Cut Reprieve Reduces Your Reimbursement Challenges--For Now
AMA is still pushing for a more permanent solution to the issue. If you were concerned... Read more
Audits:
Brace for Increased Lookback Period For Medicare Overpayments
The recently passed ‘fiscal cliff’ legislation has added two more years to y... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
F84.0 Simplifies Autism Reporting in ICD-10
ICD-10 also reduces the list of exclusions for the condition. If your psychiatrist sp... Read more
Reader Question:
Assign Diagnosis Code For Sundowning Based on Causative Condition
Question: Our psychiatrist recently assessed a 55-year-old male patient and noted sundow... Read more
Reader Question:
Reporting Hypnotherapy Using E/M or Psychotherapy Codes? Not so Fast
Question: One of our new clinical psychologists performs hypnotherapy sessions for his p... Read more
Reader Question:
Think Alice in Wonderland Syndrome Doesn't Exist? Think Again
Question: Our psychiatrist recently made a diagnosis of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. I ... Read more
Reader Question:
Double Ensure Patient Coverage Especially With New Insurance
Question: What caution and guidelines should I follow for a patient who has new coverage... Read more
Reader Question:
Expect Penalties for Illegible Handwriting
Question: I have heard payers are cracking down on illegible provider documentation. My ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Base Psychotherapy Codes on Time, Not Place of Service
Question: The earlier code sets for psychotherapy depended on place of service (POS). Bu... Read more
Available Years:  2013  2012