Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
New HCPCS Codes Include Low Vision Rehab, Ventricular Assist Devices
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But new surgical codes won't be billable to Medicare
Watch out: You have less than a month to familiarize yourself with new Healthcare Common Procedural System ( HCPCS ) codes, which take effect Oct. 1.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released codes for low-vision rehabilitation services (G9041-G9044), which are based on 15-minute increments and differ depending on the type of therapist performing the services. The codes include a number of supplies for use with ventricular assist devices (Q0480-Q0505), such as leads, drivers, battery clips, holsters and monitor/control devices.
The new codes also include some “S” codes for laparoscopic hernia repair (S0076 and S0275-S0277), shoulder arthroscopy (S2114) and subtalar arthrodesis (S2117). The hernia repair codes appear to duplicate existing hernia repair codes 49560-49566. Medicare generally doesn’t reimburse “S” codes, and it’s always better to use a CPT code if one exists, says Nancy Reading, CEO of Cedar Edge Medical Coding and Reimbursement in Centerfield, UT.
Reading says CMS most likely added the new “S” codes so they could be part of the recognized code set under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). They’re remnants of codes from private payors that had to be brought under the HIPAA umbrella when the act went into effect.
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