DecisionHealth, DecisionHealth - 2010 Issue 8 (August)

CMS clarifies billing for alcohol, substance abuse intervention

You can bill Medicare for alcohol and substance abuse intervention services when patients demonstrate symptoms of related illness or injury and your providers do a thorough job documenting the encounters. A July 6 educational article from CMS reminds you about these services, which are technically termed "structured assessment and brief intervention" (SBIRT). They allow your physicians and most non-physician practitioners (NPPs) to bill for face-to-face time spent with patients suffering illness or injury due to alcohol or non-tobacco substance abuse.

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