Ambulance Codes Added to CWF Edits for SNF CB

Home Provider Part B Education

When billing for ambulance transports, suppliers should indicate whether the transport was part of a SNF Part A covered stay, using the appropriate origin/destination modifier (e.g., "NH" for a transport from a SNF to a hospital). Suppliers should bill with an "NN" origin/destination modifier when a SNF to SNF transport occurs. A transport between two SNFs is not separately payable when a beneficiary is in a Part A covered SNF stay, and will result in a denial of a claim for such a transport. An inter-SNF transport of a beneficiary not in a Part A stay is separately payable.

Effective August 22, 2002, CWF will add HCPCS codes A0999, A0382, A0384, A0392, A0394, A0396, A0398, A0420, A0422, A0424, Q3019, and Q3020 to CWF as codes subject to SNF consolidated billing. These codes will be denied for payment when submitted with an "NN" modifier and the beneficiary is in a Part A covered stay. CWF will also add the additional ambulance HCPCS codes to the bypass edit to allow claims submitted to process and pay correctly for modifiers other than "NN" when a beneficiary is in a Part A stay, and for claims submitted with an "NN" modifier when the beneficiary is not in a Part A stay.

The possibility exists for incorrect processing of claims submitted with these HCPCS codes (except when billed with the "NN" modifier) for beneficiaries in a Part A covered SNF stay, and for claims submitted with the "NN" modifier when the beneficiary is not in a Part A stay. The claims that may be affected include any submitted with the "A" HCPCS codes listed in this notice with dates of service between April 1, 2001 and August 22, 2002, and claims submitted with HCPCS codes Q3019 or Q3020 with dates of service between April 1, 2002 and August 22, 2002. New claims submitted on or after August 23, 2002 will process correctly. Suppliers should resubmit claims for services processed incorrectly during this time period to their carrier for reprocessing.

Page Last Updated: Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 13:19:31 CST