Samuel A. Collins
Q: Are there updates to CPT codes for 2008?
A: Similar to diagnosis, there are no codes specific to chiropractic services that are affected in the 2008 edition. Specifically, chiropractic manipulation and physical medicine services have no changes. There are updates to medical conferences and phone calls, as well as language updates for modifiers. Telephone calls 99371, 99372 and 99373 have been deleted in 2008 and are now coded as follows:
Telephone Services
99441 - Telephone evaluation and management service provided by a physician to an established patient, parent or guardian, not originating from a related E/M service provided with the previous seven days and not leading to an E/M service with the next 24 hours or soonest available appointment; five to 10 minutes of medical discussion. 99442 - 11 to 20 minutes of medical discussion 99443 - 21 to 30 minutes of medical discussion.
Team Conferences
Team Conferences 99360 and 99361 have been deleted in 2008 and are now coded as follows:
99366 - Medical Team Conference with interdisciplinary team of health care professionals face-to-face with patient and/or family, 30 minutes or more; participation by non-physician qualified health care professional. 99367 - Medical Team Conference with interdisciplinary team of health care professionals, patient and/or family not present, 30 minutes or more; participation by physician. 99368 - Participation by non-physician, qualified health care professional. Team conferences of less than 30 minutes are not reported separately.
Modifiers 25 and 59
The explanatory language of these modifiers was revised to remove the term physician in the opening sentence to avoid prohibiting designated individuals, as defined by payment programs, from using the modifier (For example, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists and occupational therapists).
Modifier 51
The language was revised so that usage of modifier 51 is not applicable to physical medicine and rehabilitation services. Therefore, it is no longer appropriate to append 98943 with modifier 51 when it is done on the same visit as a spinal CMT.
