(Medicare Claims Processing Manual)

Medicare Claims Processing Manual  Chapter 5 - Part B Outpatient Rehabilitation  and CORF /OPT Services   Table of Contents  (Rev. 11129, 11- 22-21)  Transmittals for Chapter 5   10 - Part B Outpatient Rehabilitation and Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF) Services -  General  10.1 -  New Payment Requirement for A/B MACs (A)  10.2 -  The Financial Limitation  Legislation  10.3 -  Application of Financial Limitations  10.3.1 -  Exceptions to Therapy Caps  General  10.3.2 -  Exceptions Process  10.3.3 -  Use of the KX Modifier  10.3.4 -  Manual Review Threshold  to Ensure Appropriate Therapy  10.3.5 -  Identifying the Certifying Physician  10.3.6 -  MSN Messages Regarding the Therapy Cap  10.4 -  Claims Processing Requirements for Financial Limitations  10.5 -  Notification for Beneficiaries Exceeding Financial Limitations  10.6 -  Functional Reporting 10.7 -  Multiple Procedure Payment Reductions for Outpatient Rehabilitation Services  20 - HCPCS Coding Requirement  20.1 -  Discipline Specific Outpatient Rehabilitation Modifiers -  All Claims  20.2 -  Reporting of Service Units With HCPCS  20.3 -  Determining What Time Counts Towards 15- Minute Timed Codes -  All Claims  20.4 -  Coding Guidance for Certain CPT Codes  All Claims  20.5 -  CORF/OPT Edit for Billing Inappropriate Supplies  30 - Special Claims Processing Rules for Outpatient Rehabilitation Claims - Form CMS -1500 30.1 -  Determining Payment Amounts  30.2 -  Applicable A/B MAC (B)  CWF Type of Servi ce Codes  40 - Special Claims Processing Rules for Institutional Outpatient Rehabilitation Claims  40.1 -  Determining Payment Amounts  - Institutional Claims  40.2 -  Applicable Types of Bill 40.3 -  Applicable Revenue Codes  40.4 -  Edit Requirements for Revenue Codes  40.5 -  Line Item Date of Service Reporting  40.6  Non -covered Charge Reporting 40.7 -  Billing for Biofeedback Training for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence  40.8  Rebilling Therapy Services for Hospital Inpatients  50 - CWF and PS&R Requirements -  A/B  MAC (A)  100 -  Special Rules for Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)  100.1 -  General  100.1.1 -  Allowable Revenue Codes on CORF 75X Bill Types  100.2 -  Obtaining Fee Schedule Amounts  100.3 -  Proper Reporting of Nursing Services by CORFs -  A/B MAC (A)  100.4 -  Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Limitation  100.5 -  Off- Site CORF Services  100.6 -  Notifying Patient of Service Denial  100.7 -  Payment of Drugs, Biologicals, and Supplies in a CORF  100.8 -  Billing for DME, Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices, and Surgical Dressings 100.10 -  Group Therapy Services (Code 97150)  100.10.1 -  Therapy Students  100.11 -  Billing for Social Work and Psychological Services in a CORF  100.12 -  Billing for Respiratory Therapy Services in a CORF  Exhibit 1 -  Physician Fee Schedule Abstract File  Addendum A -  Chapter 5, Section 20.4  Coding Guidance for Certain CPT Codes  All Claims     10 - Part B Outpatient Rehabilitation and Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF) Services - General  (Rev. 3454, Issued: 02- 04-16, Effective: 07- 01-16, Implementation: 07- 05-16)  Language in this section is defined or described in Pub. 100- 02, chapter 15, sections 220 and 230.  Section 1834(k)(5)  to the Social Security Act (the Act), requires that all claims for outpatient rehabilitation services and comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility (CORF) services, be reported using a uniform coding system.  The CMS chose HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) as the coding system to be used for the reporting of these services.  This coding requirement is effective for all claims for outpatient rehabilitation services and CORF services submitted on or after April 1, 1998.  The Act also requires payment under a prospective payment system for outpatient rehabilitation services including CORF services.  Eff ective for claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 1999, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) became the method of payment for outpatient therapy services furnished by:    Comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities (CORFs);    Outpati ent physical therapy providers (OPTs), also known as rehabilitation agencies;    Hospitals (to outpatients and inpatients who are not in a covered Part A stay);    Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) (to residents not in a covered Part A stay and to nonresidents  who receive outpatient rehabilitation services from the SNF); and   Home health agencies (HHAs) (to individuals who are not homebound or otherwise are not receiving services under a home health plan of care (POC)).   NOTE:   No provider or supplier other tha n the SNF will be paid for therapy services during the time the beneficiary is in a covered SNF Part A stay.  For information regarding SNF consolidated billing see chapter 6, section 10 of this manual.  Similarly, under the HH prospective payment system, HHAs are responsible to provide, either directly or under arrangements, all outpatient rehabilitation therapy services to beneficiaries receiving services under a home health POC.  No other provider or supplier will be paid for these services during the ti me the beneficiary is in a covered Part A stay. For information regarding HH consolidated billing see chapter10, section 20 of this manual.   Section 143 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) authorizes  the Centers fo r Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enroll speech -language pathologists (SLP) as suppliers of Medicare services and for SLPs to   begin billing Medicare for outpatient speech -language pathology services furnished in private practice beginning July 1, 2009.  Enrollment will allow SLPs in private practice to bill Medicare and receive direct payment for their services.  Previously, the Medicare program could only pay SLP services if an institution, physician or nonphysician practitioner billed them.   In Chapter 23, as part of the CY 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database, the descriptor for PC/TC indicator 7, as applied to certain HCPCS/CPT codes, is described as specific to the services of privately practicing therapists.  Payment may not be made if  the service is provided to either a hospital outpatient or a hospital inpatient by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech- language pathologist in private practice.   The MPFS is used as a method of payment for outpatient rehabilitation ser vices furnished under arrangement with any of these providers.   In addition, the MPFS is used as the payment system for CORF services identified by the HCPCS codes in 20.  Assignment is mandatory.   Services that are paid subject to the MPFS are adjusted b ased on the applicable payment locality.  Rehabilitation agencies and CORFs with service locations in different payment localities shall follow the instructions for multiple service locations in chapter 1, section 170.1.1.  The Medicare allowed charge  for the services is the lower of the actual charge or the MPFS amount.  The Medicare payment for the services is 80 percent of the allowed charge after the Part B deductible is met.  Coinsurance is made at 20 percent of the lower of the actual charge or the MP FS amount.  The general coinsurance rule (20 percent of the actual charges) does not apply when making payment under the MPFS.  This is a final payment.  The MPFS does not apply to outpatient rehabilitation services furnished by critical access hospitals (CAHs) or hospitals in Maryland.  CAHs are to be paid on a reasonable cost basis. Maryland hospitals are paid under the Maryland All -Payer Model.   Contrac tors process outpatient rehabilitation claims from hospitals, including CAHs, SNFs, HHAs, CORFs, outpatient rehabilitation agencies, and outpatient physical therapy providers for which they have received a tie in notice from the Regional Office (RO).  Thes e provider types submit their claims to the contractors using the ASC X12 837 institutional claim format or the CMS -1450 paper form when permissible.  Contractors also process claims from physicians, certain nonphysician practitioners (NPPs),  therapists in private practices (TPPs), (which are limited to physical and occupational therapists, and speech- language pathologists in private practices), and physician- directed clinics that bill for services furnished incident to a physicians service (see Pub. 100- 02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapter 15, for a definition of incident to).  These provider types submit their claims to the contractor using the ASC X 12 837 professional claim format or the CMS -1500 paper form when permissible.    There are different fee rates for nonfacility and facility services.  Chapter 23 describes the differences in these two rates.  (See fields 28 and 29 of the record therein described).  Facility rates apply to professional services performed in a facility other than the professionals office.  Nonfacility rates apply when the service is performed in the professionals office.  The nonfacility rate (that is paid when the provider performs the services in its own facility) accommodates overhead and indirect expenses the provider incurs by operating its own facility.  Thus it is somewhat higher than the facility rate.   Contractors pay the nonfacility rate on institutional claims for services performed in the providers facility.  Contractors may pay professional claims using the  facility or nonfacility rate depending upon where the service is performed (place of service on the claim), and the provider specialty.   Contractors pay the codes in 20 under the MPFS on professional claims regardless of whether they may be considered rehabilitation services.  However, contractors must use this list for institutional claims to determine whether to pay under outpatient rehabilitation rules or whether payment rules for other types of service may apply, e.g., OPPS for hospitals, reasonable c osts for CAHs.   Note that because a service is considered an outpatient rehabilitation service does not automatically imply payment for that service.  Additional criteria, including coverage, plan of care and physician certification must also be met.  Thes e criteria are described in Pub. 100- 02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapters 1 and 15.   Payment for rehabilitation services provided to Part A inpatients of hospitals or SNFs is included in the respective PPS rate.  Also, for SNFs (but not hospitals), if the beneficiary has Part B, but not Part A coverage (e.g., Part A benefits are exhausted), the SNF must bill for any rehabilitation service.   Payment for rehabilitation therapy services provided by home health agencies under a home health plan of care is included in the home health PPS rate.  HHAs may submit bill type 34X and be paid under the MPFS if there are no home health services billed under a home health plan of care at the same time, and there is a valid rehabilitation POC (e.g., the patient is not homebound).  An institutional employer (other than a SNF) of the TPPs,  or physician performing outpatient services, (e.g., hospital, CORF, etc.), or a clinic billing on behalf of the physician or therapist may bill the contractor on a professional clai m.  The MPFS is the basis of payment for outpatient rehabilitation services furnished by TPPs, physicians, and certain nonphysician practitioners or for diagnostic tests provided incident to the services of such physicians or nonphysician practitioners.  ( See Pub. 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, for a definition of incident to, therapist, therapy and related instructions.")  Such services are billed to the contractor on the professional claim format.  Assignment is mandatory.     The following table identifies the provider and supplier types, and identifies which claim format they may use to submit claims for outpatient therapy services to the contractor.   Provider/Supplier Service Type  Format  Bill Type  Comment  Inpatient SNF Part A  Institutional  21X Included in PPS  Inpatient hospital Part B  Institutional  12X Hospital may obtain services under arrangements and bill, or rendering provider may bill.  Inpatient SNF Part B (audiology tests are not included)  Institutional  22X SNF must provide and bill, or obtain under arrangements and bill. Outpatient hospital  Institutional  13X Hospital may provide and bill or obtain under arrangements and bill. Outpatient SNF  Institutional  23X SNF must provide and bill or obtain under arrangements and bill. HHA billing for services not rendered under a Part A or Part B home health plan of care, but rendered under a therapy plan of care.  Institutional  34X Service not under home health plan of care.  Outpatient physical therapy providers (OPTs), also known as rehabilitation agencies