Respiratory Question for the Week of February 10, 2025

Question:

 
A respiratory therapist provides a brief smoking cessation counseling session lasting two minutes during a patient’s outpatient visit. The provider also bills an evaluation and management (E/M) service for the encounter. How should the counseling service be reported, and is it separately billable under codes 99406–99407?

Answer:

Counseling sessions lasting 3 minutes or less in duration do not meet the intent of codes 99406–99407. The cost associated with a minimal visit (defined as three minutes or less in duration) is considered to be covered as part of each E/M visit billed by the practitioner and is not separately billable. In the hospital setting, respiratory therapy departments should bundle the cost of a minimal visit to the other services provided on the same date of service.

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.