AHA Coding Clinic® for HCPCS - 2006 Issue 1; FOR your INFORMATION
Coding changes for low osmolar contrast material and MRI contrast agents
Effective for services furnished after December 31, 2005, HCPCS codes A4644, Supply of low osmolar contrast material (100-199 mgs of iodine), A4645, Supply of low osmolar contrast material (200-299 mgs of iodine), and A4646, Supply of low osmolar contrast material (300-399 mgs of iodine), which represented low osmolar contrast materials, were deleted from the Medicare hospital OPPS. These codes were replaced with the new HCPCS Q codes, which were created in April 2005, but were not recognized for payments in OPPS until January 1, 2006. The replacement codes and their descriptors are listed on the next page. Replacement Q-codes...
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Article Overview
This piece explains a Medicare outpatient prospective payment system update involving low osmolar contrast material and related HCPCS code changes. It is useful for hospital outpatient coding, reimbursement, and billing teams tracking transitional code updates and effective dates for contrast material reporting.
Why This Topic Matters
Articles like this help coders and revenue cycle staff stay aligned with Medicare payment policy changes and new HCPCS reporting options so claims can be coded consistently during code transitions.
Article Sections
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Effective Date and OPPS Deletions
Introduces the timeframe for the policy change and the affected HCPCS supplies under Medicare hospital OPPS.
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Replacement Q Codes for Low Osmolar Contrast Material CY 2006
Lists the new HCPCS replacement codes associated with the updated contrast material reporting structure for 2006.
What You Will Learn
- The general nature of Medicare OPPS coding updates for contrast materials.
- How transitional HCPCS changes are presented in a coding reference article.
- Which organizations and service settings are involved in the update.
- The broad structure of the replacement code set referenced for 2006.
Who Should Read This
- Hospital outpatient coders
- Medical billing staff
- Revenue cycle teams
- Coding educators
- Compliance staff
Codes Discussed
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