Medical Billing Forum
Billing => Billing => : jalmora October 13, 2011, 06:31:23 PM
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How does one communicate via claim form that a behvioral health assessment was conducted via telephone? This is not telemedicine. There is no visual involved. Just a phone interview. Thanks.
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There are cpt codes for telephone consults. They are usually not covered by insurance. And yes, you are correct, telephone is not telemedicine.
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Thanks for your response. I should have clarified. The codes I find for non-physician (98966-98968) are for established patients. I cannot find a pertinent code for new patients. It's a new patient, never before seen, and a telephone assessment performed by a non-physician clinician. Do you know of one? I'm not trying to get paid, but we do need a formal insurance denial. Thanks.
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I dont believe there is a code for new patient by phone. Maybe you should use 90899 for unlisted service.
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There is no code for new patient.. I have to ask as I can't help myself. WHY would a provider bill or even charge anyone as a new patient w/out seeing them?????
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Linda - Our facility sometimes must conduct substance abuse assessments via phone for at risk kids who live too far away to be seen in person. These assessments are in depth interviews which last 1-1/2 hours typically. The in office code is 90801, psychiatric diagnostic interview examination, which is not E&M.
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Ah Ok, I think your out of luck with reimbursement on that, you would need to ask the carriers individually how to file that and I'm guessing you will need authorization as well.