Physicians can share critical care code, but not with an NPP

Article Overview

This article covers Medicare billing guidance for critical care services when physicians and non-physician practitioners (NPPs) treat the same patient. It focuses on CMS’s position on separate versus combined time, how same-specialty physician time is treated, and why practice billing may shift to other hospital E/M services when minimum critical care time is not met. The piece is intended for physicians, NPPs, practice managers, and coding/billing staff who need to understand the general scope of the policy affecting critical care claims.