(Medicare Claims Processing Manual)

30.6.12.8 - Medical Record Documentation  (Rev. 11288; Issued: 03- 04-22; Effective: 01 -01-22; Implementation: 02 -15-22)  Critical care is a time -based service, and therefore, practitioners must document in the medical record the total time (not necessarily start and stop times) that critical care services are furnished by each reporting practitioner.  Documentation needs to indicate that the services furnished to the patient, including any concurrent care by the practitioners, are medically reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and/or treatment of illness and/or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body me mber.   To support coverage and payment determinations regarding concurrent care, services must be  sufficiently documented to allow a medical reviewer to determine the role each practitioner played in the patients care (that is, the condition or conditions for which the practitioner treated the patient).   When critical care services are reported the same date as another E/M visit, the medical record documentation must support: 1) that the other E/M visit was provided prior to the critical care services at a time when the patient did not require critical care, 2) that the services were medically necessary, and 3) that the services were separate and distinct, with no duplicative elements from the critical care services provided later on that date.   When critical care services are furnished in conjunction with a global procedure, the medical record documentation must support that the critical care was unrelated to the procedure, as discussed above.   To support coverage and payment determinations regarding split (or shared) critical care services, the documentation requirements for all split (or shared) E/M visits apply to critical care visits also (see section 30.6.18).  30.6.13 - Nursing Facility Services  (Rev. 11842; Issued; 02- 09-23 Effective:01 -01-23; Implementation: 05 -09-23)   Definition of Initial and Subsequent Visits   An initial service is one that occurs when the patient has not received any professional services from the physician or other NPP of the same specialty who belongs to the same group practice during the stay. A subsequent service is one that occurs when the patient has received any professional services from the physician or NPP of the same specialty who belongs to the same group practice during the stay.    A. Visits to Perform the Initial Comprehensive Assessment and Annual Assessments  The distinction made between the delegation of physician visits and tasks in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and in a nursing facility (NF) is based on the Medicare Statute. Section 1819 (b) (6) (A) of the Social Security Act (the Act) governs SNFs while section 1919 (b) (6) (A) of the Act governs NFs. For further information refer to the Medicare Learning Network article SE0418 at:  http://www.cms.gov/Outreach- and-Education/Medicare- Learning- Network -MLN/MLNGenInfo/index.html?redirect=/MLNGenInfo   The federally mandated visits in a SNF and NF must be performed by the physician except as otherwise permitted (42 CFR 483.40 (c) (4) and (f)).  The principal physician of record must append the modifier  -AI, (Principal Physician of Record), to the initi al nursing facility care code.  This modifier will identify the physician who oversees the patients care from other physicians who may be furnishing specialty care.  All other physicians or qualified NPPs who perform an initial evaluation in the NF or SNF  may bill the initial nursing facility care code.  The initial federally mandated visit is defined in S&C -04-08 (see http://www.cms.gov/site -search/search -results.html?q=S%26C -04-08) as the initial comprehensive visit during which the physician completes a thorough assessment, develops a plan of care, and writes or verifies admitting orders for the nursing facility resident.  For Survey and Certification requirements, a visit must oc cur no later than 30 days after admission.  Further, per the Long Term Care regulations at 42 CFR 483.40 (c) (4) and (e) (2), in a SNF the physician may not delegate a task that the physician must personally perform.  Therefore, as stated in S&C -04-08 the physician may not delegate the initial federally mandated comprehensive visit in a SNF.  The only exception, as to who performs the initial visit, relates to the NF setting.  In the NF setting, a qualified NPP (i.e., a nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), or a clinical nurse specialist (CNS)), who is not employed by the facility, may perform the initial visit when the State law permits.  The evaluation and management (E/M) visit shall be within the State scope of practice and licensure requirements where the E/M visit is performed and the requirements for physician collaboration a nd physician supervision shall be met.  Under Medicare Part B payment policy, other medically necessary E/M visits may be performed and reported prior to and after the initial visit, if the medical needs of the patient require an E/M visit.  A qualified NPP may perform medically necessary E/M vi sits prior to and after the initial visit if all the requirements for collaboration, general physician supervision, licensure, and billing are met.  The CPT Nursing Facility Services codes shall be used with place of service (POS) 31 (SNF) if the patient is in a Part A SNF stay.  They shall be used with POS 32 (nursing facility) if the patient does not have Part A SNF benefits or if the patient is in a  NF or in a non- covered SNF stay (e.g., there was no preceding 3 -day hospital stay).  The CPT Nursing Facility code definition also includes POS 54 (Intermediate Care Facility/Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities) and POS 56 (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center). For further guidance on POS codes and associated CPT codes refer to 30.6.14.  Effective January 1, 2006, the Initial Nursing Facility Care codes 99301-  99303 are deleted.   Beginning January 1, 2006, the new CPT codes, Initial Nursing Facility Care, per day, (99304 -  99306) shall be used to report the initial federally mandated visit. Only a physician may report these codes for an initial federally mandated visit performed in  a SNF or NF (with the exception of the qualified NPP in the NF setting who is not employed by the facility and when State law permits, as explained above).   A readmission to a SNF or NF shall have the same payment policy requirements as an initial admission in both the SNF and NF settings.  A physician who is employed by the SNF/NF may perform the E/M visits and bill independently to Medicare Part B for payment.  An NPP who is employed by the SNF or NF may perform and bill Medicare Part B directly for those services where it is permitted as discussed above.  The employer of the PA shall always report the visits performed by the PA.  A physician, NP or CNS has the option to bill Medicare directly or to reassign payment for his/her professional service to the facility.   As with all E/M visits for Medicare Part B payment policy, the E/M documentation guidelines apply.  For Office/Outpatient or Emergency Department E/M Visit on Day of Admission to Nursing Facility see section 30.6.7.C above.   A given practitioner cannot bill an initial NF visit and another E/M visit (such as an O/O visit or ED visit) on the same date of service, for the same patient. However, the time the practitioner spends furnishing a visit in another setting can be counted toward reporting prolonged NF services, if requirements for reporting prolonged NF services are met.    Medically Necessary Visits   Qualified NPPs may perform medically necessary E/M visits prior to and after the physicians initial federally mandated visit in both the SNF and NF.  Medically necessary E/M visits for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury or to improve the f unctioning of a malformed body member are payable under the physician fee schedule under Medicare Part B.  A physician or NPP may bill the most appropriate initial nursing facility care code (CPT codes 99304- 99306) or subsequent nursing facility care code (CPT codes 99307 -99310), even if the E/M service is provided prior to the initial federally mandated visit.   SNF Setting --Place of Service Code 31   Following the initial federally mandated visit by the physician, the physician may delegate alternate federally mandated physician visits to a qualified NPP who meets collaboration and physician supervision requirements and is licensed as such by the State  and performing within the scope of practice in that State.   NF Setting --Place of Service Code 32   Per the regulations at 42 CFR 483.40 (f), a qualified NPP, who meets the collaboration and physician supervision requirements, the State scope of practice and licensure requirements, and who is not employed by the NF, may at the option of the State, perfor m the initial federally mandated visit in a NF, and may perform any other federally mandated physician visit in a NF in addition to performing other medically necessary E/M visits.   Questions pertaining to writing orders or certification and recertification issues in the SNF and NF settings shall be addressed to the appropriate State Survey and Certification Agency departments for clarification.   B. Visits to Comply With Federal Regulations (42 CFR 483.40 (c) (1)) in the SNF and NF   Payment is made under the physician fee schedule by Medicare Part B for federally mandated visits. Following the initial federally mandated visit by the physician or qualified NPP where permitted, payment shall be made for federally mandated visits that mo nitor and evaluate residents at least once every 30 days for the first 90 days after admission and at least once every 60 days thereafter.   Effective January 1, 2006, the Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, per day, codes 99311-  99313 are deleted.   Beginning January 1, 2006, the new CPT codes, Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, per day, (99307 -  99310) shall be used to report federally mandated physician E/M visits and medically necessary E/M visits.   A/B MACs (B) shall not pay for more than one E/M visit performed by the physician or qualified NPP for the same patient on the same date of service.  The Nursing Facility Services codes represent a per day service.   The federally mandated E/M visit may serve also as a medically necessary E/M visit if the situation arises (i.e., the patient has health problems that need attention on the day the scheduled mandated physician E/M visit occurs).  The physician/qualified NP P shall bill only one E/M visit.   Beginning January 1, 2023, the CPT code, Other Nursing Facility Service (99318), has been deleted and is no longer used to report an annual nursing facility assessment visit on the required schedule of visits on an annual basis.  Effective for dates of ser vice on and after 1- 1-2023, for Medicare Part B payment policy, the regular code set for Nursing Facility Services shall be used.   Qualified NPPs, whether employed or not by the SNF, may perform alternating federally mandated physician visits, at the option of the physician, after the initial federally mandated visit by the physician in a SNF.   Qualified NPPs in the NF setting, who are not employed by the NF and who are working in collaboration with a physician, may perform federally mandated physician visits, at the option of the State.   Medicare Part B payment policy does not pay for additional E/M visits that may be required by State law for a facility admission or for other additional visits to satisfy facility or other administrative purposes.  E/M visits, prior to and after the initia l federally mandated physician visit, that are reasonable and medically necessary to meet the medical needs of the individual patient (unrelated to any State requirement or administrative purpose) are payable under Medicare Part B.   C. Visits by Qualified Nonphysician Practitioners   All E/M visits shall be within the State scope of practice and licensure requirements where the visit is performed and all the requirements for physician collaboration and physician supervision shall be met when performed and reported by qualified NPPs.  G eneral physician supervision and employer billing requirements shall be met for PA services in addition to the PA meeting the State scope of practice and licensure requirements where the E/M visit is performed.   Medically Necessary Visits   Qualified NPPs may perform medically necessary E/M visits prior to and after the physicians initial visit in both the SNF and NF. Medically necessary E/M visits for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malf ormed body member are payable under the physician fee schedule under Medicare Part B.  A physician or NPP may bill the most appropriate initial nursing facility care code (CPT codes 99304 -99306) or subsequent nursing facility care code (CPT codes 99307- 99310), even if the E/M service is provided prior to the initial federally mandated visit.   SNF Setting --Place of Service Code 31   Following the initial federally mandated visit by the physician, the physician may delegate alternate federally mandated physician visits to a qualified NPP who meets collaboration and physician supervision requirements and is licensed as such by the State  and performing within the scope of practice in that State.