Wiki Social worker documentation and billing

kathleeng

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Regarding Licensed Social Workers, can you count the time spent looking for resources and filling out forms towards the level of care? Also, what are the specific documentation requirements? I have found some information on this but I'm looking for additional resources and feedback. Thank you!
 
Hi neighbor!

Are you speaking of Licensed Clinical Social Workers? LCSW's are employed in many capacities. The ones I worked with did psychotherapy just like any psychologist, marriage & family therapist, etc. Their documentation would be the same as for any psychotherapy session. There were no "levels of care" as psychotherapy is time-based. Filling out forms is not psychotherapy.

What type of work are the providers doing, and are they LCSW's?
 
Hi there! Yes, they are Licensed Clinical Social Workers that will be starting with our oncology hematology practice. This is completely new to me and our practice so I'm still not totally clear on this. I do understand that they are time based, but I'm just trying to find out if the time looking for additional resources for the patients can be counted towards the time of the CPT code.
 
The psychotherapy codes are strictly face-to-face, psychotherapy time.

Look at 90785 for interactive complexity if an interpreter is used.

Look at 99358 and 99359 for non face-to-face services.
 
Hi there! Yes, they are Licensed Clinical Social Workers that will be starting with our oncology hematology practice. This is completely new to me and our practice so I'm still not totally clear on this. I do understand that they are time based, but I'm just trying to find out if the time looking for additional resources for the patients can be counted towards the time of the CPT code.

Social workers are not eligible to bill E&M services, so you will not be able to count their time toward a physician E&M service code. From what you've said though, it almost sounds like they may be going to be doing case management, which could fall under the chronic care management services 99487-99490. These are time based codes billed monthly based on the cumulative amount of time spent during the month. There are a lot of other requirements that have to be met in addition to time though. Here's a good reference document that might help:


But before you can even begin to look for an answer to your question, you'll really need to find out exactly what services they are going to be doing.
 
Hi there! Yes, they are Licensed Clinical Social Workers that will be starting with our oncology hematology practice. This is completely new to me and our practice so I'm still not totally clear on this. I do understand that they are time based, but I'm just trying to find out if the time looking for additional resources for the patients can be counted towards the time of the CPT code.
Kathleen, I wanted to follow up with you and see if you have successful in your LCSW billing. We are a Nephrology practice and this is new to us as well.
 
Kathleen, I wanted to follow up with you and see if you have successful in your LCSW billing. We are a Nephrology practice and this is new to us as well.
Hi there, sorry for the delayed response. No, we have not started yet. We are just now starting. How's it going for you guys? Have you found any more data?
 
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