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No-Pay Proposal for Consults Could Make Coding Easier

Published on Fri Sep 18, 2009

Plus, you may have one more modifier to add to your arsenal. If you cringe every time you see the word "consultation" in your surgeon's documentation, CMS may have just the news you've been hoping for. A proposal for 2010 could eliminate the abundant confusion of what differentiates a consultation and a transfer of care. Find out what the proposal means for your coding and reimbursement. Dig Into the Details of the Proposal In the July 13 Federal Register CMS announced a proposal to eliminate consultation codes starting on Jan. 1, 2010. The plan includes the elimination of all inpatient (99251-99255, Inpatient consultation for a new or established patient ...) and outpatient (99241-99245, Office consultation for a new or established patient ...) consultation codes. This change would "result in a net decrease in allowed charges of approximately $1 billion," noted CMS's Whitney May during a July 9 CMS Open Door [...]
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