Wiki Question about Preventative Medicine Coding

[along501]

Can you bill preventative medicine cpt codes 99381-99387 and 99391-99397 if the patient is not face to face? The description for the preventative medicine doesn't specify face to face visits. Can the provider do these over the phone and get paid for them using this code or is there another code that has to be used?

 

[mitchellde]

preventive encounter cannot be performed over the phone, nor are they on the list for telemedicine acceptable service. these must be face to face services. only the services labeled as non face to face or marked as acceptable telemedicine are allowed as such. there are codes for telephone calls but they cannot be combined with other codes and they must be initiated by the patient not a scheduled service.

 

[TThivierge]

Preventive Over the Phone

Hi There

Yes Ms Debra is correct. If the payer wanted the medical documentation faxed to their office showing doc inspected a patient's heart, inside of mouth or check of E.N.T area, pulse, etc how could this be done over the phone? So really need a face to face in doing preventive physicals and documented proof.

We are all just trying to help

Lady T