Wiki 78452-26 and 93018 date of service

[jmbarrera]

My cardio group has one doctor who is actually able to interpret nuclear at the hosp although he only goes to that hosp on certain days. The other docs can read them but not actually able to do the dictation and sign. They ususaly do not wait. So if that doctor only reads all the nuclears and stress interps on one day is that the days that I bill? I would not bill the dos of the test but bill the read/sign date he actually interepreted. I am trying to explain to doctor that if he interps after the patient is discharged then we risk not getting payment due to auth only covering from admit to discharge. Am I correct or can I bill on the dos of the test?

 

[dlentschjohnson]

No, you would bill the date that the service/test was actually supplied, not the read date.

 

[jmbarrera]

I see but doesn't medicare state that you must bill for when services are performed? If I am billing the interpretations 78452-26 and 93018 would the day he signs not be the service that was performed? I am confused. So would I bill the date the hosp performed the test?

 

[dlentschjohnson]

The date of "service" is the date that the hospital performed the actual test, not the date the test was interpreted. Attaching modifier 26 notifies the carrier that this is an interpretation.