Wiki Discussion of vaccines for travel

[jhendrix08]

Hi everyone...hoping you can help.

We saw a patient that is traveling out of the country and wanted to discuss recommended travel vaccines with our physician; we are her PCP. The patient has original Medicare so my concern is the Dx codes that my provider used; Z71.89 Other specified counseling and Z11.59 Encounter for screening for other viral diseases. I can't find another code to use in place of these Z codes and I'm concerned this won't get paid with Medicare. There was nothing else discussed.

Advice?? I appreciate any feedback...

 

[CodingKing]

Its not a medicare covered service. It needs an ABN and patient to self pay. If you didn't get ABN this it's wrote off.
I believe it falls under Z41.8

 

[thomas7331]

I agree with CodingKing - this is a preventive service and not one that is covered by Medicare. It would not be appropriate to try to get the claim paid by Medicare by submitted diagnosis codes that might suggest a medical necessity that isn't there, unless the documentation supports that another medically necessary service was provided as part of the encounter.

 

[jhendrix08]

Thank you for your feedback; this was my thinking as well.