Wiki Coding for addiction medicine

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Skenyon

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A family care physician in our practice has been certified to prescribe the drug "suboxone". Patients are being referred to him from other PCP's. They are only being seen in our practice for addiction medicine. I've heard from several that the addiction medicine is part of the patient's mental health benefit. Should we be using the psychotherapy codes and pharmecologic management codes? Or regular E&M? Can a PCP use the psychotherapy codes? I'm thinking they can. I'm sure hoping someone can way in on this.
 
We have an OBOT (suboxone) program at our community health center. We have certified MDs and RNs. When the MD sees the patient for the initial visit and period check ins we bill the appropriate E/M code (usually a 99213). Our OBOT Drs are not mental health providers so we cannot bill mental health codes or carriers for them. Our patients are not having psychotherapy with our doctors, or OBOT nurses, they are treating their addiction, which is a medical condition. We bill regular insurance, and to my knowledge all but one pay the claims.

Hope that helps.
 
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