Telehealth Coding for Practices
By ION
Yet, there continues to be confusion around the breakdown of codes.
For medical practitioner telephone visits, practices should use the 9944 coding (99441, 99442, 99443). Patients are required to initiate the services by simply calling the office and asking to see or speak to a provider. At that time, practice staff can help to educate the patient around a potential telehealth appointment, including discussing potential out of pocket costs. This specific service is based just on time on the call, as long as the patient has not had a visit within 7 days for the same issue.
For the medical practitioner online visits, practices will use 9942 coding (99421, 99422, 99423). These are communications through a HIPAA-compliant platform like an electronic health record portal or secure email. It is the secure portal that distinguishes this telehealth visit from the telephone call. Again, patients must initiate the service and the practice can not report within 7 days of a visit for the same issue. At the end of the 7 days, the time is cumulative and reported with that specific code.
If your practice provides a face-to-face visit,
via Skype, Facetime or other Telehealth Technology platform, you will select
the appropriate E&M code and append the 95 modifier.
Practices who have not started offering telehealth and may
need help getting started, or have questions on the use of the codes, reach out
to Kristy McGowan or John Dodd at practiceconsulting@amerisourcebergen.com.
