Wiki DEPRESSION SCREENING ONLY WITH AWV?

[surfergirl]

Hi,
Can someone please answer is Depression Screening only Billable with AWV or can they also be billed against OV/ EM.

Thank you so much.

 

[suki_26]

you can bill it with and EM but there is a time limit how often you can bill it. (once a year with Medicare) We just do it with the annual so its easier to keep track.

 

[rthomas@impcna.com]

We occasionally bill G0444 with a chronic disease follow up if the patient doesn't have a diagnosis of depression and has recently started having signs & symptoms. Otherwise, we only do it yearly at the AWV visit.

 

[surfergirl]

Thank you so much for your answers and am I correct to bill with a modifier 59 on the G0444 ? with E/M or AWV

 

[surfergirl]

or a modifier 25

 

[thranowski]

We bill a depression screen at annuals and any time a patient requires it, if they start having symptoms and the dr orders it. I bill it with 25 on the E&M and 59 on the test itself. If with an OV, the dx I usually put encounter for screening for depression and then the 2ndary dx would be the underlying condition or symptoms.

 

[MXF064]

Do your providers document the time spent on the Depression Screening in their note?

 

[thranowski]

Do your providers document the time spent on the Depression Screening in their note?

I work in a pediatric office. We don't document time, but they do sign off the screening and document the results in the chart. They document time only if there is a complicated issue, say if they end up having to spend 45+ minutes with the patient counseling.