Wiki Billing for Interpreter Services

[khubler]

Does anyone use T1013 and bill for interpreter services? If so, what is your fee per 15 minutes? I know medicaid will not pay for these services but has anyone had luck with commercial payors?

We have medical assistants in our offices that are certified translators and often times they need to translate for spanish speaking patients. Can that be billed under the T1013 or should that only be used when we are using an outside professional service?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Skymom]

Make sure you check the policies of the payers before billing this code. In order to bill, it is usually required that the translator be a certified/registered professional translator, not office staff, or even (and sometimes especially) a family member. It is extremely risky to have someone other than a qualified interpreter provide this service. Also, check to make sure that this code is payable for the location where the services are rendered -- for example, the payer may only reimburse for translation services rendered as part of home care. Finally, Federal and State Laws govern the treatment of Limited English Proficiency patients, and several lawsuits regarding errors in translation and/or failure to use a qualified and trained interpreter have been successfully argued.

This article is an excellent starting point to make sure your practice is compliant in regards to LEP:
Medscape's February 7, 2018 article "Your Legal Risks When Patients Don't Speak English Well."

You must have a Medscape account in order to read the full article, but registration is free.