Primary Care Coding Alert

Thinking an ECG is a G0402 requirement could be costing your practice. The new year rings in good news for initial preventive physical examination (IPPE) revenue. In response to physicians' claims that the exams involved more work than the code had been valued to include, CMS has increased the value of the "Welcome to Medicare" examinations. Moreover, more relaxed rules  in place since 2009 are kept unchanged, further increasing the dollar values for IPPE. Here's how to cash in on Medicare's gracious moves for 2010. CMS Nearly Doubles Work RVUs for IPPE Medicare's big move for IPPE in 2010 is to greatly increase its work relative value units (RVUs). Last year, G0402 (Initial preventive physical examination; face-to-face visit,services limited to new beneficiary during the first 12 months of Medicare enrollment) contained 1.34 work RVUs. In 2010, G0402 will now be worth 2.30 work RVUs, announced Kenneth Simon, MD, MBA, FACS, [...]