Wiki Credentialing question

[NDobos]

Hello,
We have a therapist going on maternity leave and are wanting to bring in a temp to cover this. Is there a way to bill this person as a locum like we do physicians? I don't want to go thought the whole credentialing process for a person who will only be with us for 12 weeks.
thank you
Nancy

 

[CodingKing]

According to CMS:

• Services of non-physician practitioners (e.g., CRNAs, NPs and PAs) may not be billed under the Locum Tenens or Reciprocal Billing reassignment exceptions. These provisions apply only to physicians.

So if it commercial you would want to check directly with the payer. There may be some new exception based on location of the clinic:

http://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2016/12/15/LocumTenensHistory/

While APTA originally pressed for locum tenens to be extended to all PTs, the final version of the legislation applies only to PTs in non-Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Medically Underserved Areas, and Health Professions Shortage Areas as defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services.