subject: Medical Coding And Billing: Now Cpt 99406, 99407 Coverage Extended To All Smokers [print this page] While going about your daily coding chores, are you writing off tobacco cessation counseling as non-payable? In case this is true, it is time to change your tune.
Prior to this, CMS covered only 99406-99407 for a beneficiary with a tobacco-related disease or with signs or symptoms of one. However, on August 25 this year, CMS announced that under new coverage, any smoker covered by Medicare will be able to receive tobacco cessation counseling from a qualified doctor or other medicare-recognized practitioner who can work with them to aid them to put a curb on using tobacco.
For a long time, a lot of tobacco users with Medicare coverage were not allowed access to evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling. Most Medicare beneficiaries are keen to get rid of their tobacco use. At present, older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries can get the help they need to successfully get over tobacco dependence.
The new tobacco cessation counseling coverage will apply to services under Medicare Part B and Part A. The new benefit will encompass two individual tobacco cessation counseling attempts each year. Each attempt may cover up to four sessions, with a total annual benefit thus covering up to eight sessions per Medicare patient who makes use of tobacco.
To stay up to date on Medicare coverage issues and to get the latest medical coding and billing updates, sign up for an audio conference. Such a conference will provide you with every bit of coding information to code right for your practice.
The best part of attenting such a conference is that you can attend it at your own convenient time and from anywhere. And to top it all, on attending such an audio conference, you even stand to acquire continuing education units (CEUs) to keep your certification up and running. So sign up for one today!
by: angela martin
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