More Seniors Are Heading to Urgent Care. Be Sure You’re Coding Correctly for Cognitive Assessments

As we’ve told you recently, weeks- (or even months-) long waits for primary care appointments are forcing more patients to consider whether a trip to urgent care for ongoing concerns would be a wiser choice. With senior citizens among them, it would also be wise for you to consider whether you’re on point with optimal coding practices for cognitive assessments—which are required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at annual wellness visits for patients covered by Medicare. CMS recently reassessed reimbursements for cognitive assessments and opted to increase them to $282 when provided in an office setting; added these services to the definition of “primary care services” in the Medicare Shared Savings Program; and permanently covered these services under telehealth. More details on specific coding for initial assessment during the course of an annual wellness visit, and for subsequent related visits, are available on a dedicated page within the CMS website.