- Medical Review
- Medical Review Focus Areas
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Home Health PDGM Bills
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits for Hospice Length of Stay > 730 Days
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Psychotherapy, 60 Minutes with Patient – CPT 90837
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Ambulance Transport and Mileage When Billed With Modifiers RJ, JR, RG, GR, NJ, JN, NG, GN
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Home Health Value Code 17 Bills
- Announcing Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Services for J6 A Regions: IL, WI, and MN
- Service Specific Post-Payment Medical Review Notice Home Health PDGM (Edit 5AAGP)
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Botulinum Injection, onabotulinumtoxina, 1 Unit – CPT J0585
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Floweramnioflo, 0.1 CC – CPT Q4177
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Grafix Prime (CPT Q4133)
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Nonemergency Ambulance Transport and Mileage
- Service Specific Post Payment Review - Hospice GIP Services Over 7 Days (5ANLP) for JK A Regions: NY/CT, MA, ME, NH/VT and RI
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Home Health Homebound Criteria (Edit 5AAHP)
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Fluoroscopic Guidance for Needle Placement - CPT 77002
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Computed Tomography, Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast Material(s) - CPT 74177
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Darbepoetin Alfa Injection, 1 microgram (Non-ESRD Use)
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Therapeutic Procedure, 1 or More Areas, Each 15 Minutes; Aquatic Therapy With Therapeutic Exercise – CPT 97113
- Service Specific Post Payment Medical Review Summary Results of Hospice Services with Length of Stay > 730 Days
- Service Specific Post Payment Medical Review Summary Results of Home Health Value Code 17 Bills
- Review Results For Service Specific Postpayment Review of Psychotherapy, 60 Minutes With Patient
- Service Specific Post-Payment Medical Review Notice Hospice with Length of Stay over 730 Days (Edit 5ANKP)
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Hospice GIP Care, DOS 3/1/2020 and After
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Home Health LUPA Claims
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Debridement, Subcutaneous Tissue (Includes Epidermis and Dermis, If Performed); First 20 Square Centimeters or Less– CPT 11042
- Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Tangential Biopsy of Skin-Single Lesion CPT 11102 with Destruction-Premalignant Lesion-First Lesion CPT 17000
- Service Specific Post Payment Review Summary Results – Home Health PDGM Bills (Edit 5AAGP)
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Artacent Wound, per Square Centimeter - CPT Q4169
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Q4133 - Grafix Prime
- Announcing Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Group Psychotherapy Services for J6 A Regions: IL, WI and MN
- Service Specific Post Payment Medical Review Summary Results of Hospice Services with GIP > 7 Days
- Service-Specific Postpayment Medical Review Summary Results of Home Health PDGM Bills
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Hyaluronan or Derivative - CPT J7326
- Review Results for Service Specific Post Payment Review of Hyaluronan or Derivative – CPT J7327
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Fluoroscopic Guidance for Needle Placement
- J6_B_Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of J0585 – Botulinum Injection, Onabotulinumtoxina
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Computed Tomography, Abdomen And Pelvis; With Contrast Material(s)
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Therapeutic Procedure, 1 or More Areas, Each 15 Minutes; Aquatic Therapy with Therapeutic Exercise - CPT 97113
- Review Results for Service Specific Post Payment Review of Floweramnioflo
- Review Results for Service Specific Postpayment Review of Tangential Biopsy of Skin; Single Lesion CPT 11102 with Destruction, Premalignant Lesion; First Lesion CPT 17000
- Review Results for Service Specific Post-Payment Review of Darbepoetin Alfa Injection (Non-ESRD Use)
- Service Specific Post-Payment Review Summary Results – Home Health Homebound Criteria (Edit 5AAHP)
- Service Specific Post-Payment Review Summary Results – Hospice GIP Services Greater than 7 Days (Edit 5ANLP)
- Service Specific Post Payment Medical Review Summary Results of Hospice Services with General Inpatient Care, Date of Service 3/1/2020 and After
- Service Specific Post Payment Medical Review Summary Results of Home Health Low Utilization Payment Adjustment Claims
- Announcing Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Individual Psychotherapy Services for J6 A Regions: IL, WI and MN
- Review Results for Service Specific Post Payment Review of Debridement, Subcutaneous Tissue (Includes Epidermis and Dermis, if Performed); First 20 Square Centimeters or Less – CPT 11042
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Artacent Wound, Per Square Centimeter - CPT Q4169
- Service Specific Post-Payment Audits of Hospice GIP Care
- Service Specific Post Payment Review of Hyaluronan or Derivative - HCPCS J7326, J7327
- Skilled Nursing Facility Education Center
Background
In an effort to reduce the Part B CERT error rate, the MR Department conducted a service specific post payment review of CPT codes A0425-A0428 (Ambulance Transport). The primary focus of these audits was to determine whether the medical necessity of the services billed was at the correct code per Medicare guidelines.
NGS randomly selected 120 claims billed for CPT A0425-A0428 for post payment review in Jurisdiction 6 for Part B providers in the states of Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- A0425 Ground mileage, per statue mile
- A0426 Ambulance service, advanced life support, nonemergency transport (ALS)
- A0428 Ambulance service, basic life support, nonemergency transport (BLS)
Results
Decision | Number of Claims |
---|---|
Allow | 61 |
Deny | 56 |
Nonresponse Denial | 3 |
- 110 claims from Illinois with 59 allowed and 51 denied for a claims error rate of 46%
- One claim from Minnesota was denied for a claims error rate of 100%
- Nine claims from Wisconsin with two allowed and seven denied for a claims error rate of 78%
Key reasons services were denied
- Documentation was insufficient or incomplete
- Documentation did not support medically necessity due to one or more of the following: missing a signed CMN or PCS; evidence that the patient is bed-confined; an injury or illness that prevents the patient from being transported safely by other means; and/or that service could not be rendered at the sending facility
- Failure to respond to the request for documentation
Recommendations
- Send the requested records within the requested time frame to avoid a denial for no documentation
- Familiarize yourself with available Ambulance Transport and Mileage guidelines and other CMS publications listed below
- Share this information with your coding personnel to ensure they are properly billing before sending the claim to Medicare.
- If you feel your application of this code is correct, ensure your documentation supports your usage.
Related Content
- CMS IOM Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 10, Section 10.2.2 – Reasonableness of Ambulance Trip) Section 20.1.2 (Beneficiary Signature Requirements)
- CMS IOM Publication 100-08, Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Chapter 3, Section 3.3.2.4 (Signature Requirements)
- MLN Booklet® Medicare Ambulance Transports
- Special Rule for Nonemergency, Scheduled, Repetitive Ambulance Services - 42 CFR 410.40(d)(2)
Posted 1/22/2021
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
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Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.
Targeted Probe and Educate Manual
The preferred method to submit Medical Records is NGSConnex:
Visit our Contact Us page for other methods of submission.