Preventive Care: Don't Look to CMS for AWV Diagnosis Coding Advice

Why This Topic Matters

Annual wellness visits and related preventive services are commonly billed, but the article highlights that CMS did not provide a single required diagnosis code and addressed several practical questions that affect claim reporting and denial prevention.

Article Sections

1. CMS guidance on annual wellness visit diagnosis coding

   Discusses CMS remarks about diagnosis coding for annual wellness visits and the general approach to selecting a code for the claim.

2. Differentiate Between G0438 and G0439

   Covers the two annual wellness visit service categories and the timing differences between initial and subsequent visits.

3. Patient preparation for a thorough AWV

   Summarizes CMS comments about the information patients should bring to the visit and how practices can prepare them beforehand.

4. Know When EKG is Billable

   Addresses questions about electrocardiogram reporting with preventive visits and CMS’s comments on denial issues and related billing.

5. CMS Vague on Non-Physician Practitioner AWV Billing

   Notes the article’s discussion of unresolved questions about annual wellness visit billing when performed by non-physician practitioners.