Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Benefit already adjusted in another service - Medicare denial

CO 97 The benefit for this service is included in the payment/allowance for another service/procedure that has already been adjudicated


(DENIED/REDUCED SERVICE/PROCEDURE NOT PAID SEPARATELY)

(PRE/POST OP CARE INCLUDED IN SURGERY. YOU MAY NOT BILL PATIENT)

(SEPARATE PAYMENT NOT MADE FOR THIS SERVICE. DO NOT BILL PATIENT)



Resources/tips for avoiding this denial

Denial indicates service(s) billed has/have already been paid as part of another service billed for the same date of service (services were bundled).

• Please make note of quarterly updates to the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits .

• The purpose of NCCI edits is to ensure the most comprehensive codes, rather than component codes, are billed.

If billing for split-care, be sure to apply appropriate modifiers to surgical codes when billing the services to Medicare. Note: Coordinate split-care billing activities with other providers involved in the patient's care, to ensure the surgical code is billed before post-op care, as this will sometimes cause denial issues.

• Modifier 54 indicates pre- and intra-operative services performed.

• Modifier 55 indicates post-operative management services only.

• Modifier 56 indicates pre-op services only

Some services may always be bundled into other services provided or not separately payable. For instance:

• Evaluation and management (E/M) services conducted during the post-op period of a surgery that are related to the surgery are considered not separately payable.



• Collection of a blood specimen is usually conducted during a patient encounter, and therefore is not separately payable.

• Extended hours codes (common after-hour codes) are not separately payable in a facility which operates 24-hours a day (e.g., inpatient/outpatient hospital).

• Special handling, conveyance or transfer of a specimen to a laboratory from a physician's office is not usually separately payable, as this type of "extra" care is considered within the payment fee schedules.



Tips to correct the denied claim

If a modifier is applicable to the claim, apply the appropriate modifier, and resubmit the claim. Be sure to submit only the corrected line. Resubmitting an entire claim will cause a duplicate claim denial.

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