A physician makes a phone call to a patient to review changes to their heart failure treatment plan based on the physician's review of their data from wireless scale. Would the physician report an audio-only telemedicine code in addition to code 99457 ? ...
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Article Overview
This short guidance article addresses coding for a physician-patient phone call tied to remote physiologic monitoring of heart failure treatment. It is intended for coders, billers, and clinical staff who need to understand how time spent on a related call is discussed in the context of remote monitoring services and related telehealth concepts. The article also notes that the same general guidance applies to remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services.
Why This Topic Matters
Understanding how remote-monitoring-related communication is categorized can affect service reporting and reduce confusion when a phone call overlaps with other management activities.
What You Will Learn
- How a physician phone call related to remote monitoring is framed in coding guidance.
- How related communication is discussed in the context of remote physiologic monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring.
- How the article distinguishes the call from an additional audio-only telemedicine service.
- intended_audiences":["Medical coders","Billing staff","Compliance staff","Physicians","Clinical documentation teams"],"topics":["Remote physiologic monitoring","Remote therapeutic monitoring","Audio-only telemedicine","Phone calls","Heart failure treatment management","Time-based service reporting"],"medical_specialties":["Cardiology","Primary care","Telehealth"],"code_sets":["CPT"],"codes":[{"code_set":"CPT","code":"99457"},{"code_set":"CPT","code":"98980"},{"code_set":"CPT","code":"98981"}],"code_ranges":[],"modifiers":[],"content_type":"Coding guidance article","effective_dates":[],"organizations_mentioned":[],"keywords":["remote monitoring","telephone call","heart failure","wireless scale","treatment plan review","telemedicine","audio-only"],"questions_answered":["Is an additional audio-only telemedicine code reported for a physician call that reviews remote monitoring data?","How is time spent on a related patient phone call treated in this coding scenario?","Does the same guidance apply to remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services?"],"access_description":"Public summary of a premium coding guidance article on remote monitoring-related phone calls and related telehealth reporting considerations.","disclosure_check":{"contains_code_descriptions":false,"contains_modifier_descriptions":false,"contains_actionable_coding_instructions":false,"contains_article_conclusions":false,"contains_detailed_examples":false}}}
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Compliance staff
- Physicians
- Clinical documentation teams
Codes Discussed
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