Question:
Can respiratory therapists bill for smoking cessation services provided with pulmonary rehabilitation?
Answer:
It is important to focus on who is delivering the smoking cessation services, regardless of other services being provided, due to the fact that CMS explicitly states that it “can only cover tobacco cessation counseling for outpatient and hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries furnished by a qualified physician or other Medicare-recognized practitioners.” They go on to specifically name respiratory therapists as not recognized to provide smoking cessation services. As such, if the services are being provided by a respiratory therapist they cannot be billed.
This question was answered in our Coding Essentials for RT/Pulmonary Function. For more hot topics relating to respiratory services, please visit our store or call us at 1.800.252.1578, ext. 2.