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Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Reader Question:

A-scan

Published on Mon Dec 24, 2012

Question: What level of physician supervision is now required by HCFA for an A-scan (76519)? Level-one, level-two, or level-three?

Vermont Subscriber

Answer: The final rule for the 1998 Physician Fee Schedule and Payment Policies for the Medicare Program were published in the Oct. 31, 1997, Federal Register.

Note: Although most of the final rule was implemented on Jan. 1, 1998, HCFA postponed implementation of the language relating to the supervision of testing services.

In a memorandum to all associate regional administrators dated Jan. 28, 1998, HCFA advised the carriers to continue to follow existing rules regarding testing.

The physician in the practice must be on-site and readily available to assist the non-physician performing the testing procedure. The final rule language created three different types of supervision relating to the performance of testing services. [...]
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