Practice Management

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently granted a request from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Alexandria, Va, for a new place of service (POS) code to indicate that a physical therapist delivered services at a patient’s worksite. The new code will reportedly be available for use effective January 1, 2013, but will not be effective for Medicare until May 1, 2013.

POS codes are described as 2-digit codes placed on health care claims to indicate the setting in which a service was provided. The new code, POS 18, is called “place of employment-worksite,” and should be used when physical therapy is delivered at “a location, not described by any other POS code, owned or operated by a public or private entity where the patient is employed, and where a health professional provides on-going or episodic occupational medical, therapeutic, or rehabilitative services to the individual.”

APTA advises PTs delivering services that are appropriately reported using POS codes to check with payors to determine if they are prepared to accept POS 18. The association also provides examples of situations in which the new code can be used, such as job-site analysis to identify potential accommodations, physical therapy evaluation and treatment at the worksite, and functional capacity evaluations at the worksite to determine the worker’s ability to perform specific job duties.

Additional information about POS codes is available on the CMS Web site. APTA reports CMS plans to publish a change request to inform payors of the change.

Source: American Physical Therapy Association