Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: We're still working to become compliant with eprescribing. We don't have a large number of Medicare patients to draw from over time -- we just see many of the same patients repeatedly. Considering that, can you explain the parameters for reporting G8553?Michigan SubscriberAnswer: You can submit G8553 (At least one prescription created during the encounter was generated and transmitted electronically using a qualified eRx system) for the same patient at every encounter during which the provider generates an e-prescription. Because of this, you can meet e-prescribing criteria even if you have a small Medicare population, because you can submit G8553 more than once for each patient.Remember: Some coders also have questions about whether the e-script is only valid when sent while the patient is still in your office. That detail doesn't matter, as long as you send the e-script as a direct result of the office visit and the provider's [...]