Who can bill for OMT / OMM?

[Jack Donaghy]

Just started residency at a formerly AOA program. They used to only take DO in service exams and only offer the ABOFP boards. Now that we're all ACGME, they said they must offer us to be able to take either ABFM or ABOFM. But, they warned that only ABOFM certified FM docs can bill for OMT.

This sounds like a bunch of BS to me, but I wanted to clarify before I make my choice. I really hate the NBOME and it is my understanding that ABFM is much more legit and useful to me during the entirety of my career. So I would like to go with them and never deal with another AOA-affiliated person or persons again.

That said, I do a lot of OMT and definitely want to bill for it in the future. Any ABFM docs out there billing for OMT with no issues? Or is my residency correct?

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[AMEHigh]

No that is not correct. Even MDs can bill for OMT. Pediatricians can bill for OMT, etc. So no, ABOFM family medicine doctors do not hold the exclusive rights to bill for OMT.

 

[Sardonix]

MDs can bill for OMT just like any other procedure.

As a DO I really grow tired of the 3% of my degree who desperately cling to the idea that we're somehow graduated with some special sauce that can't possibly be mastered by anyone else, let alone some of the smartest and most capable professionals in modern society.

 

[deleted87716]

Billing is one thing. Getting reimbursed, however, is another thing entirely. Check your fee schedules.

 

[n3xa]

MDs can bill for OMT just like any other procedure.

As a DO I really grow tired of the 3% of my degree who desperately cling to the idea that we're somehow graduated with some special sauce that can't possibly be mastered by anyone else, let alone some of the smartest and most capable professionals in modern society.

Yep. There were MD preceptors during our school's cranial week who do 100% OMT in practice.

 

[Sushirolls]

Billing is one thing. Getting reimbursed, however, is another thing entirely. Check your fee schedules.

Probably 1-2 insurance companies that won't reimburse, but all the others will, is my suspicion.

OMT if used often really is best suited, in my opinion, to propel a cash based primary care practice.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Anyone can bill for OMT as long as you document it correctly.

 

[BigSib]

Just started residency at a formerly AOA program. They used to only take DO in service exams and only offer the ABOFP boards. Now that we're all ACGME, they said they must offer us to be able to take either ABFM or ABOFM. But, they warned that only ABOFM certified FM docs can bill for OMT.

This sounds like a bunch of BS to me, but I wanted to clarify before I make my choice. I really hate the NBOME and it is my understanding that ABFM is much more legit and useful to me during the entirety of my career. So I would like to go with them and never deal with another AOA-affiliated person or persons again.

That said, I do a lot of OMT and definitely want to bill for it in the future. Any ABFM docs out there billing for OMT with no issues? Or is my residency correct?

Whoever said this doesn't know what they're talking about. If you document and code appropriately, and of course are able to do it, OMT can be billed...

 

[nexus73]

What is the general reimbursement these days. I remember in med school at my rotation with a DO doing OMT exclusively, billing was based on number of regions treated, like 1-2 was one rate, 3-4 was higher reimbursement, 5-6 and so on. He would do cranial for an hour and say he was essentially affecting all areas of the body so would bill the maximum amount. I assume it was getting reimbursed.

 

[Sardonix]

What is the general reimbursement these days. I remember in med school at my rotation with a DO doing OMT exclusively, billing was based on number of regions treated, like 1-2 was one rate, 3-4 was higher reimbursement, 5-6 and so on. He would do cranial for an hour and say he was essentially affecting all areas of the body so would bill the maximum amount. I assume it was getting reimbursed.

Gosh I despise cranial. And I despise billing like that. OMT has some cool MSK applications, hence PTs have started doing many of its modalities. But cranial is straight up fraud and billing like that is fraud.

 

[Sushirolls]

These days fraud is a gray area. Look at the entire field of Natropaths? In some states they are able to use the title of Physician and even prescribe hormones for transgender, or antipsychotics like zyprexa, etc

 

[Sardonix]

These days fraud is a gray area. Look at the entire field of Natropaths? In some states they are able to use the title of Physician and even prescribe hormones for transgender, or antipsychotics like zyprexa, etc

I'm not talking fraud in a legal sense. I mean if I were to accept money for putting my hands on someone's skull, pretending that I was adjusting their cerebral fluid movement by doing so, and telling them I could palpate the exact texture of the 4th ventricle by really concentrating, I would feel like a fraud... let alone claiming I had indirectly treated other parts of their body by doing so as well.

 

[hallowmann]

These days fraud is a gray area. Look at the entire field of Natropaths? In some states they are able to use the title of Physician and even prescribe hormones for transgender, or antipsychotics like zyprexa, etc

FTFY. They can literally prescribe HRT (among many other things) for anyone in some states. It's crazy. "Low T" clinics don't even need a physician/NPP anymore. Fortunately those states are few in number.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

MDs can bill for OMT but they do it under "orthopedic manipulative treatment" rather than "osteopathic manipulative treatment." That is the only difference

 

[scharnhorst]

MDs can bill for OMT just like any other procedure.

As a DO I really grow tired of the 3% of my degree who desperately cling to the idea that we're somehow graduated with some special sauce that can't possibly be mastered by anyone else, let alone some of the smartest and most capable professionals in modern society.

Your humility is most refreshing , would you recommend a way in which an MD who is ignorant in the ways of OMT can educate himself [ 10 yrs post residency ] or that ship has sailed for good ?

 

[Sardonix]

Your humility is most refreshing , would you recommend a way in which an MD who is ignorant in the ways of OMT can educate himself [ 10 yrs post residency ] or that ship has sailed for good ?

Not at all sailed. There are workshops that you can sign up for that teach intensive OMT courses. The real trick with OMT is the palpation skills--for all the guff that I give OMT, those that practice it really do get to know the human body and they are aware of some physical exam findings that simply don't come as easily to others who don't focus on physical touch as much.

But like all things, the more you do it, the more you learn it.