Based on an official statement by the American Medical Association (AMA), Medicare will be accepting care coordination CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes to compensate for the management of patients who are recently discharged from a healthcare facility such as a hospital.
The AMA has created the new medical codes 99495 and 99496 based on various suggestions made by experts in the healthcare community. These codes will permit the effective reporting of the time spent on care plan discussion, involving patients in community services, transferring them from inpatient settings and avoiding readmissions.
To support physicians who are engaged in emerging healthcare models such as patient-centric medical homes, and accountable care organizations, the AMA called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last year to adopt new medical codes to cover and support these emerging patient-care services. According to AMA, Medicare accepting these new care coordination codes signifies the importance of the services these codes cover in improving the overall quality of healthcare. It recognizes the importance of the services involved in helping patients transition from one healthcare setting to another, as well as the work of physicians working in emerging models of care.
Correct awareness of these new codes is necessary when carrying out medical coding activities. Physicians can approach a reliable medical coding company that has skilled and experienced coding professionals to provide solutions that will ideally meet your coding requirements. They will assign the codes correctly to the appropriate care coordination services ensuring accurate reimbursement. To complete the assigned task within the deadline with high accuracy and quality, they utilize state-of-the-art technologies and are proficient in ICD-9-CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes and standards, insurance and governmental regulatory requirements, and payer-specific coding.
Some medical coding companies offer free trial to help clients evaluate their medical coding services.
Meghann Drella possesses a profound understanding of ICD-10-CM and CPT requirements and procedures, actively participating in continuing education to stay abreast of any industry changes.