Description:
The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the president in March 2010. The preventive services component of the law became effective Sept. 23, 2010. A component of the law was a requirement that all “non-grandfathered” health insurance plans are required to cover preventive medicine services given an “A” or “B” recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and preventive services recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA).    

Plans are not required to provide coverage for the preventive services if they are delivered by out-of-network providers.

Policy:
Behavioral counseling regarding the promotion of health and preventing illness or injury is considered MEDICALLY NECESSARY according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for non-grandfathered PPACA plan members. A review of risk factors is appropriate once yearly.

Rationale:
Preventive Coverage
Preventive Medicine, Individual Counseling
CPT codes 99401 – 99404 are designated to report services provided to individuals at a face-to-face encounter for the purpose of promoting health and preventing illness or injury.

Preventive medicine counseling and risk factor reduction interventions will vary with age and should address issues including: 

• • Diet and exercise (such as related to obesity, hyperlipidemia).
  • Substance misuse/abuse.
  • Sexual practices and STD/STI prevention.
  • Screening procedures and laboratory test results available at the time of the encounter.
  • Breast-feeding counseling and support.
  • Domestic and interpersonal violence.
  • FDA-approved contraception methods for women with reproductive capacity.

Risk factor reduction services are used for persons without a specific illness for which the counseling might otherwise be used as part of treatment.

These codes are not to be used to report counseling and risk factor reduction interventions provided to patients with symptoms or established illness.

For counseling individual patients with symptoms or established illness, use the appropriate office, hospital, consultation or other evaluation and management codes.

Codes 99402 – 99404 will require record review.

Coding description:   

99401 PREVENTIVE MEDICINE COUNSELING AND/OR RISK FACTOR REDUCTION INTERVENTION(S) PROVIDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL (SEPARATE PROCEDURE); APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES

99402 PREVENTIVE MEDICINE COUNSELING AND/OR RISK FACTOR REDUCTION INTERVENTION(S) PROVIDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL (SEPARATE PROCEDURE); APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES

99403 PREVENTIVE MEDICINE COUNSELING AND/OR RISK FACTOR REDUCTION INTERVENTION(S) PROVIDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL (SEPARATE PROCEDURE); APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES

99404 PREVENTIVE MEDICINE COUNSELING AND/OR RISK FACTOR REDUCTION INTERVENTION(S) PROVIDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL (SEPARATE PROCEDURE); APPROXIMATELY 60 MINUTES

References:

1. PPACA & HECRA: Public Laws 111-148 & 111-152. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

This medical policy was developed through consideration of peer-reviewed medical literature generally recognized by the relevant medical community, U.S. FDA approval status, nationally accepted standards of medical practice and accepted standards of medical practice in this community, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association technology assessment program (TEC) and other nonaffiliated technology evaluation centers, reference to federal regulations, other plan medical policies and accredited national guidelines.

"Current Procedural Terminology © American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved" 

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