subject: Use Two ABN Modifiers to Bill the Patient [print this page] Use Two ABN Modifiers to Bill the Patient
One facet of dealing with Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-Coverage (ABN) forms in on the verge of being simpler owing to two modifiers.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing you two level II HCPCS modifiers to distinguish between voluntary and required uses of liability codes, as per the release CR6563.
Here's some expert advice to help you know when you need an ABN:
Background: When your doctor provides a service that Medicare does not cover, you practice must provide an advance beneficiary notice of non-coverage to the patient. The patient should then examine and finish the form before your providers administer that service or procedure.
When you have a patient sign an ABN, you also require to append the right modifiers on your claim. ABN modifiers ask the Medicare carrier that you have an ABN on file for services that will not be covered.
Thankfully, modifiers GA and GX should add more tools to your belts that'll help you stay away from denials.
As such, it is in the provider's best interest to find out which procedures require ABNs in their offices, and flag accounts before the patient comes in.
For more on this, sign up for a one-stop medical coding guide. When you sign up for one, you will know which procedures need ABNs in their offices as well as everything that you need to know about HCPCS modifiers. Such a site comes with a thorough and detailed description of an individual CPT, HCPCS and ICD-9 codes. So get going!
