Wiki LOCUM for a PA???

[sadieandbrian]

Any & all help appreciated as we have already spent too much time trying to figure this out.
We have a PA that helps out our physician with office visits. The PA is out on maternity leave.
Can we hire a locum temporarily to cover for her while she is out? Or is a locum only to cover physicians that are out?

Research we found shows we can't hire a locum to cover a PA...has to be covering for a physician. However, the agency we have already hired the locum through INSISTS that this is legal & legit with Medicare...to bill for the locum under the physicians #'s.

I should mention the locum hired through the agency is NOT a physician, she's an NP.

We really appreciate any help/links/contacts to get an answer. Thanks!

 

[orbit612002]

Locum/PA

Hi there. I just read in the healthcare business monthly from June of 2014 that in section 1842 (b) (D) of the Social Security Act clarifies that this is a "physician for physician services" provision. In other words, services provided by non-physician practitioners (e.g. nurse practitioners and physician assistants) may not be billed under the locum tenens provision.

I think this may apply to what you are asking.

Also it says that locum tenens physicians may not bill Medicare; they should be paid on a per diem or similar fee-for-time basis.

Check out Medicare Claims Processing Manual, section 30.2.11 at the CMS website for more information