Author Topic: Billing for Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in a physician office  (Read 1259 times)

Simplicity423

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Please help! lol

I work for a multi-physician practice and we just brought a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) on board to assist with mental health. Patients spend about 45-50 minutes with the LAC and the physician comes in at the end to go over treatment plan/ medications. I am being told this should be billed as a 99215 with depression/anxiety dx, and the LAC does not need to be listed on the claim. I am not sure this is correct, as looking at the claim, you wouldn't even know the patient sat with an LAC. It is only in our physicians name. I worry about this as the physicians are treating other patients while the LAC is spending 45-50 minutes for mental health. Please advise.

Michele

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Re: Billing for Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in a physician office
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2017, 05:30:42 PM »
This is out of my scope.  We have a provider with a similar situation.  We expressed our concern to him but he said that he checked with his lawyer to make sure it was ok for him to act as the supervising physician.  As long as he does see the patient during the visit he said that he was advised this was ok.  Your situation sounds similar.  I would just express my concern and ask if they checked the state laws to make sure they are within the requirements for supervising physician.
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Re: Billing for Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in a physician office
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2017, 05:30:42 PM »