July 2006 CMS-1500 Bulletin ATTENTION PROVIDERS

Transcription

1 EqualityCareNews July 2006 CMS-1500 Bulletin Psychological and APN/MHNP (Advance Practitioner of Nursing/ Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) Services Effective September 1, 2006 This bulletin supersedes current information in the EqualityCare Manual. Provider Information ATTENTION PROVIDERS EqualityCare covers medically necessary psychological services if provided by a licensed psychologist. The psychologist can be independent or part of an agency. To be able to bill under EqualityCare, the psychologist must have an EqualityCare provider number through ACS. EqualityCare will also cover medically necessary psychological services provided by the following mental health professionals, if they are directly supervised by a licensed psychologist: A licensed professional counselor (master s level), A licensed clinical social worker, A licensed marriage and family therapist, A licensed advance practitioner of nursing (specialty area of psychiatric/mental health they can enroll independently), A provisionally licensed person by the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board pursuant to the Mental Health Professions Practice Act (Wyo. Stat through 113), A psychological resident as defined by the Wyoming State Board of Psychology Rules and Regulations (Wyo. Stat through 123), or A certified social worker or a certified mental health worker, certified by the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board pursuant to the Mental Health Professions Practice Act (Wyo. Stat through 113.)

2 Supervision means the ready availability of the supervising psychologist for consultation and direction of the activities of the mental health professional by telecommunication as sufficient to show ready availability when such contact is sufficient to provide quality medical care. The supervising psychologist shall maintain the final responsibility for the care of the patient and the performance of the mental health professional(s) he/she is supervising. Covered Services Effective 9/1/06, psychologists and APN s/pmhnp s will begin billing with CPT codes, rather than HCPCS codes. Services provided by the providers listed above (licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, interns, etc.) will continue to be billed by the psychologist, using HCPCS codes. Psychologists The following matrix indicated the psychologist CPT codes, the EqualityCare defined unit (for codes without specific time span in the CPT book), the maximum number of allowed (when applicable), and the reimbursement amounts: CPT Code Unit Max Units Reimbursement hour 2 $ hour 2 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ hour 2 $ hour 2 $ hour 2 $ hour 6 $30.77

3 CPT Code Unit Max Units Reimbursement hour 6 $ hour *Please see below $ hour *Please see below $ test *Please see below $ hour *Please see below $ Per instance *Please see below $ Per instance *Please see below $ hour *Please see below $ hour *Please see below $ hour *Please see below $ test *Please see below $ minutes 1 $ hour 1 $ minutes 1 $72.40 *No cap on hours of testing; however, report writing piece is capped at 3 hours. Advance Practitioner of Nursing/Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (APN/PMHNP) In the State of Wyoming, the Wyoming Nursing Act defines [ through ] advanced practitioner of nursing as a registered professional nurse who performs advanced nursing acts and who may perform medical acts including prescribing or providing prepackaged medications, except schedule I drugs as defined in W.S and , in collaboration with a licensed or otherwise legally authorized physician or dentist, in such a manner to assure quality and appropriateness of services rendered. Advance Practice Nurse has completed a nursing education program and national certification that prepares the nurse as a specialist, such as Psychiatric/Mental Health. In order to practice in a special area, the advance practitioner of nursing must be recognized by the State Board of Nursing in that specialty area of advance practice as defined in the definitions in the Wyoming Nursing Practice Act. They must have a current license to enroll in EqualityCare.

4 The following matrix indicates the APN/PMHNP CPT codes, the Equality- Care defined unit (for codes without specific time spans in the CPT book), the maximum number of allowed units (when applicable) and the reimbursement amounts: CPT Code Unit Max Units Reimbursement hour 2 $ hour 2 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $148.06

5 CPT Code Unit Max Units Reimbursement CPT defined 1 $ CPT defined 1 $ hour 2 $ hour 2 $ hour 2 $ hour 6 $ hour 6 $ Per instance 1 $ minutes 1 $ hour 1 $ minutes 1 $72.40 Please refer to the American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology CPT 2006 book for appropriate code descriptions. Licensed mental health professionals will continue to bill using the following HCPCS codes: H0031 Clinical Assessment: Contact with the client and/or collaterals as necessary, for the purposes of completing an evaluation of the client s mental health/substance abuse disorder(s) and treatment needs, including psychological testing if indicated, and establishing a DSM (latest edition) diagnosis, per 15 minutes. (Services for codes 96100, and would be included under this code.) H2019 Office-based individual/family therapy services: An office-based contact with a client and/or collaterals for the purpose of developing and implementing a treatment plan for an individual client or family. The service shall be targeted at reducing or eliminating specific symptoms or behaviors that are identified in the treatment plan, per 15 minutes. H2021 Community-based individual/family therapy services: Contact outside the psychologist s office with the client and/or collaterals as necessary, for the purpose of developing and implementing the treatment plan for the client, per 15 minutes.

6 H2019HQ Group Therapy: Contact with two or more unrelated clients and/ or collateral as necessary, for the purpose of implementing each client s treatment plan, per 15 minutes. Payment Rates H0031 $17.50 per 15 minutes H2019 $17.50 per 15 minutes H2021 $22.50 per 15 minutes H2019HQ $8.75 per 15 minutes Report writing time is limited to three hours. There are no other limits on the number of units for the above listed procedures. Documentation Requirements Documentation should: Identify the covered services provided; Identify the date, length of time, and location of the services; Identify all persons involved; Contain a narrative report of the client s condition, the issues addressed, the treatment interventions, and the client s progress toward defined goals; and Contain the full signature, including licensure of the clinical professional involved. Post-payment reviews will be completed. Billing Electronic billing for psychological and APN/PMHNP services is not required but is strongly encouraged. If billing hardcopy, the CMS-1500 is the only acceptable form.

7 Third Party Liability/Primary Insurance Information about third party coverage is available through the eligibility verification system. If the client shows you a different proof of eligibility, you must ask if the client is covered by other insurance that might help to pay for your services. EqualityCare is always the payer of last resort except for the 100 percent federally funded programs such as Indian Health Services and The Ryan White Foundation. You must bill all other potential payers before billing EqualityCare. For further information regarding Third Party Liability, please refer to your EqualityCare General Provider Information Manual, Chapter 8. If you have any questions concerning this information, please contact the ACS Provider Relations Unit at Call center hours are Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.

8 Important Changes! Please read! ACS, Inc P.O. Box 667 Cheyenne, WY PHONE: (800) IN CHEYENNE: (307) FAX: (307) We re on the Web!