Question:
Can you tell me the type of services that CMS considers administrative and are not separately billable?
Answer:
Certain services, considered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to be administrative costs are not reimbursed separately. These services are occasionally improperly billed as a supply or as an unlisted HCPCS code. Examples of services that are considered an administrative cost and therefore are not separately billable under any revenue code are as follows:
- Pharmacy profiles
- Duplicating films
- Phone calls
- STAT fees
- On-call fees/standby fees
- Handling fees
- Nursing time to set up/prepare for a procedure
- Technician time to set up/prepare for a procedure
- Additional charges for the use of portable equipment.
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.