For the new CPT Codes 99406 and 99407 can a RN or LPN provide the counseling for this code or does a Nurse Practitioner or Physician have to provide the counseling?
The billing physician or nurse practitioner/physician assistant performing “incident to” visits should provide and document the counseling–not a RN or LPN. Additionally, they must document the time spent doing this in order to justify the code they billed and distinguish it as a service separate from an E&M visit if one billed the same day. The following CMS MLN Matters article announces that the 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Database (MPFSDB) included two new CPT codes for smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling services; replacing the temporary HCPCS G codes (G0375 and G0376) previously used for billing these services: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5878.
The billing physician or nurse practitioner/physician assistant performing “incident to” visits should provide and document the counseling–not a RN or LPN. Additionally, they must document the time spent doing this in order to justify the code they billed and distinguish it as a service separate from an E&M visit if one billed the same day.
Related Questions
- For the new CPT Codes 99406 and 99407 can a RN or LPN provide the counseling for this code or does a Nurse Practitioner or Physician have to provide the counseling?
- On a Medicare patient, can I use a CPT code for tobacco cessation counseling along with the E&M code for the visit, i.e. for hypertension?
- What is the CPT code for marriage counseling?
