Tobacco Counseling via Telehealth
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States. Each year, nearly half a million Americans die prematurely of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Another 16 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Each year, the United States spends more than $225 billion on medical care to treat smoking-related disease in adults.
Medicare Part B covers intermediate and intensive tobacco counseling for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Tobacco cessation counseling is a service that can be provided via telehealth.
Telehealth helps to improve access to healthcare for various populations, including communities that lack providers and patients with limited time or mobility. Telehealth can be used to improve access to tobacco cessation services. Health care providers may offer tobacco counseling services via telehealth to patients located in their homes and outside of designated rural areas.
The CMS expanded the list of services that can be provided by telehealth.
- Some types of telehealth services no longer require both audio and video, including tobacco counseling services— visits can be conducted over the telephone.
- For details, see this list of telehealth services covered by Medicare.
| Code | Descriptor | Can Audio-Only Interaction Meet the Requirements? |
|---|---|---|
| 99406 | Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit; intermediate, greater than 3 minutes up to 10 minutes | Yes |
| 99407 | Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit; intensive, greater than 10 minutes | Yes |
Visit the National Government Services Telehealth webpage for more details.
Want to Learn More?
Join us for our webinar series on Medicare’s preventative services, "Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use" which includes information on Telehealth via Tobacco Counseling.
In partnership with CMS, National Government Services’ desired outcome is to increase the utilization of tobacco cessation counseling to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare Program.
During these webinars, we focus on Medicare coverage, coding, billing and documentation guidelines for tobacco use counseling for outpatient and hospitalized beneficiaries.
Visit our Events page or register below. All webinars are listed in Eastern Time.
Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use
| Date | Time | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 3/13/2024 | 9:00-10:00 a.m. | Register |
| Thursday, 3/21/2024 | 10:00-11:00 a.m. | Register |
Tobacco use counseling is a covered service under Medicare. Visit the NGS Tobacco Cessation web page today to lean more.
Unable to attend the above webinars? We have some options:
- We offer Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use Counseling webinars twice per month along with many other Medicare Part B topics. Visit the Events page for upcoming educational opportunities.
- The NGS POE team created a free Tobacco Cessation “On-Demand” video offering our providers the ability to watch or listen to this prerecorded live educational webinar. This forum offers providers in all time zones the ability to join us for this important education at your leisure, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Select Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use to take advantage of this free educational offer.
Related Content
- MLN® Educational Tool: Medicare Wellness Visits
- Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use
- CMS Telehealth web page‒ Process for additions/deletions for telehealth services
- Billing for Telehealth - Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- MLN Fact Sheet® Telehealth Services
- National Government Services Telehealth Services
- National Government Services Tobacco Cessation
Posted 2/29/2024