Medical Billing Forum

Coding => Coding => : MJ October 17, 2011, 01:51:17 PM

: Telemedicine
: MJ October 17, 2011, 01:51:17 PM
We have a mental health provider who is going to start "seeing" patients on a Skype.  I want to make sure I bill correctly and legally.  I have been told that as long as the service is a face to face, using Skype, and the encounter is documented as such, that I would use the usual E/M codes for the encounter.  Is that correct?  And, is there some kind of modifier to indicate that the encounter was telemedicine vs. the usual face to face in a clinical setting?
: Re: Telemedicine
: PMRNC October 25, 2011, 11:05:49 AM
You don't mention the provider's credentials so not even sure if E/M would be applicable, 2nd, this is NOT telemedicine and you will need to check with EACH carrier individually to find out how they cover it. I do know that I have had provider's be told by the APA that they are not utilizing this as an ethical service right now due to the restrictions of privacy (you can't guarantee and control patient privacy with Skype, example: you never know who's standing on the other side of the web cam) I never investigated this further since my clients were advised by the APA and NASW this was not really a practice recommended ethically for now.