Clarifying the Rules for Concurrent Care – Ophthalmology Management
Medicare has rules for concurrent care, when more than one physician sees a patient on the same day. But they can be confusing for physicians and staff. Here I’ll try to provide some clarity.
This article answers the following questions:
- What is concurrent care, and when do the rules apply?
- Is payment allowed for more than one office visit per day for Medicare beneficiaries?
- How are two visits within the group, for different conditions, documented to support separate claims? How do we bill?
- If only one claim is permitted, which physician should bill?
- If a patient is referred for a same-day visit from another ophthalmologist in town, may both visits be billed?
- Does this rule also apply to optometrists?
This article was published in Ophthalmology Management’s Coding & Reimbursement column, which is written by Corcoran’s Executive Vice-President, Suzanne Corcoran, COE. To view the entire article in Ophthalmology Management, click on the link below: