No billing for smoking cessation for Medicaid?

[Timeoutofmind]

Got this from my biller today

Just wanted to confirm that this is true?

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[BobBarker]

Bill it everyday to MCD

 

[Ferrismonk]

Not sure if I'm getting paid for it, but I bill for it routinely. I think I read somewhere that Medicare only reimburses the code 4 times per year, but whatever. I bill for it whenever I discuss smoking cessation.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I imagine a day when when the lawyers try to pin a maloccurence suit on the doc for performing "unnecessary" interventions that could have been prevented if only the patient stopped smoking. Didn't you know that smoking causes xyz? Why didn't you inform them to stop?

 

[Cholula]

I have not ever got paid for 99406-59. I heard you have to be primary care to bill for it. Here is what I do instead: for a 15min office visit plus 10 min smoking cessation, I bill a level 4 (25min, based on time) office visit instead of a level 3 plus 99406-59. compensation would be about the same.
Related question, anybody get paid for 99401, 99402 counseling/risk factor or 99420 health risk assessment?