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CMS Issues Reminders for Billing COVID-19 Specimen Collection & Symptom/Exposure Assessment

by | Jun 29, 2020 | Articles, Coding-lca, Essential, Lab Compliance Advisor, Recent Headlines, Reimbursement-lca

On June 18, CMS offered up some guidance on billing Medicare for COVID-19 symptom and exposure assessment and specimen collection performed on and after March 1, 2020: Use CPT code 99211 to bill for assessment and collection provided by clinical staff (such as pharmacists) incident to your services, unless you’re reporting another Evaluation and Management (E/M) code for concurrent services; The above guidance on code 99211 applies to all patients, not just established ones; Submit the CS modifier with code 99211 (or other E/M code for assessment and collection) to waive cost sharing; If you didn’t include the CS modifier when you submitted 99211, contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor so it can reopen and reprocess the claim; CMS will automatically reprocess claims billed for code 99211 that it denied due to place of service editing.  

On June 18, CMS offered up some guidance on billing Medicare for COVID-19 symptom and exposure assessment and specimen collection performed on and after March 1, 2020:

  • Use CPT code 99211 to bill for assessment and collection provided by clinical staff (such as pharmacists) incident to your services, unless you’re reporting another Evaluation and Management (E/M) code for concurrent services;
  • The above guidance on code 99211 applies to all patients, not just established ones;
  • Submit the CS modifier with code 99211 (or other E/M code for assessment and collection) to waive cost sharing;
  • If you didn’t include the CS modifier when you submitted 99211, contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor so it can reopen and reprocess the claim;
  • CMS will automatically reprocess claims billed for code 99211 that it denied due to place of service editing.

 

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