2. Can I bill for patients I see virtually via telephone?
Effective March 16, 2020, physicians will be eligible to bill for following fee codes for services delivered via telephone during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Limited Office Visit – fee code xx13
- Health Promotion Counseling – fee code 2505
- Psychotherapy – fee code 2501 or 2504
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Interview – fee code 2588 or 2586
Billing Instructions:
- Service must be direct patient care by a physician to a patient, in lieu of a face-to-face visit.
- Service can be initiated by either the physician or the patient.
- These services are only billable for medically necessary services that can be safely and competently delivered via telephone.
- Physical examination not required when completed by telephone for fee code xx13.
- For time based codes (2501, 2505, 2586, and 2588) please make sure the time of day is on the claim. Also these codes are a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Patient chart must document that it was a telephone call in lieu of physical visit for COVID-19.
- Physicians must continue to document in patient chart as per Tariff of Fees Preamble requirements.
- For patients in self-isolation, the billing claim must include “COVID-19 self-isolation”.
- For all other patient care delivered via telephone, the billing claim must include a comment “COVID-19 telemedicine”
Please note that this is a temporary measure and will be reviewed again in 30 days.