Wiki Non complaint patient

[cgifford]

I am in a Dermatology practice and when patient get a biopsy and it is proven to be skin cancer we call them back in to have it excised or refer to plastic surgery. If the patient is non complaint and we attempt to contact and the patient will not come in how do we notify medicare of this. I know we would use the dx code Z91.19 but is there a HCPCS we use. I can not notify them via claim without a CPT/HCPCS. Does anyone know where I can find information on this. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[thomas7331]

I don't believe there is any requirement to notify Medicare of this and I don't know of any way to do so. Medicare is a payer of claims - they do not manage the patient's care or monitor compliance with treatment plans. The patient is within their rights to elect to not receive treatment. To protect your practice, you should document your attempts to contact the patient and send a certified letter with a return receipt so that you have a record that the patient was notified of your physician's recommendation that they return to your office to receive continued care.