Revisions to Consultation Services Payment Policy

This article pertains to Change Request (CR) 6740, which alerts physicians and non-physician practitioners that effective January 1, 2010, the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) consultation codes (ranges 99241-99245 and 99251-99255) are no longer recognized for Medicare Part B payment. Effective for services furnished on or after January 1, 2010, physicians and non-physician practitioners should code a patient evaluation and management visit with E/M codes that represents where the visit occurs and that identify the complexity of the visit performed. For more information, please view the article located at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6740.pdf  on the CMS website. 

Note: This article was revised on December 17, 2009, to correct the "initial hospital day codes" referenced on the top of page 4 (in bold). Those codes should be 99221-99223. The error listed them as 99231-99233. All other information remains the same.