1. California Medical Bill Reviewer Re-Certification
Unit 2: Official Medical
Fee Schedule
Module 8: Medicine

2. Overview
We’ll start by discussing some general guidelines, types of services in the medicine section, and different types of neurology and neuromuscular services common on workers’ comp bills...
Hi! In this module, you will learn about different types of services in the medicine section of the OMFS.
Medicine Guidelines
Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Electromyography (EMG)
Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)
Medicine Guidelines
Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Electromyography (EMG)
Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)
Psychiatry
Ophthalmology

3. In the OMFS, the medicine section ranges from 90700-99199.
Medicine Guidelines
Unlike other sections of the OMFS, the medicine section of the OMFS is comprised of several different types of services, procedures, and tests.
Dialysis
Ophthalmology
In the OMFS, the medicine section ranges from
Ear, Nose, & Throat
Psychiatry

4. Medicine services include:
Medicine Guidelines
In fact, the medicine section is extensive and diverse in the types of services it includes.
Medicine services include:
Psychiatry
Dialysis
Ophthalmology
Otorhinolaryngology
Non-invasive Vascular Diagnostic Studies
Pulmonary Services
Allergy & Clinical Immunology
Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Central Nervous System Assessments/Tests
Chemotherapy Administration
Dermatological Procedures

5. Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Medicine Guidelines
Some of these services are more common on workers’ compensation bills than others. We will be discussing a subset of those services, which include:
Psychiatry
Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Ophthalmology

6. Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Neurology and Neuromuscular services pertain to the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses or injuries that affect the nervous system, the musculoskeletal system, and how they work synergistically.
Neurology and Neuromuscular services include procedures such as:
Sleep studies
Electroencephalograms
Muscle testing
Electromyographies
Nerve conduction studies
Do you remember what these two terms mean?
Right! Graphical recordings of the electrical activity of the brain and muscles, respectively.

7. Neurology and Neuromuscular Services
Two of the most common types of procedures that you will become familiar with are the:
Electromyography
Nerve Conduction Study
Let’s take a look…

8. Electromyography
You might recall from your study of medical terminology that an electromyography (EMG) tests the electrical potential, or electrical activity, of muscles.
In other words, an electromyography assesses whether the patient has nerve or muscle damage.
An electromyography can be used to diagnose disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

9. Electromyography
Electromyography codes range from CPT to CPT 95875, and are specific to the number of extremities and/or different body areas.
For Example:
95860: One extremity and related paraspinal area
95861: Two extremities and related paraspinal area
95864: Four extremities and related paraspinal area
95868: Cranial nerve supplied muscles, bilateral
95869: Limited study of specific muscles (e.g. thoracic spinal muscles)

10. Nerve Conduction Studies
Similar to electromyography, nerve conduction studies evaluate electrical signaling of the motor and sensory nerves in the body.
In general, nerve
conduction studies are
used to evaluate symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in the extremities.
Nerve conduction studies can be used to diagnose disorders such as:
Peripheral neuropathy
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Ulnar neuropathy
Guillian-Barré syndrome

11. Nerve Conduction Studies
Nerve conduction studies consist of four separate components.
Different components of a nerve conduction study can be billed for testing different types of nerves.
Nerve conduction study components are:
For example, there are three different nerves within the upper extremity that can be subject to motor or sensory testing. Other types of nerves are only tested with one component of the study.
Motor NCS
Sensory NCS
F-wave study
H-reflex study

12. Nerve Conduction Studies
The nerves are broken down into four major areas:
Radial
Upper Extremity
Ulnar
Tibial
Median
Peroneal
Lower Extremity
Sural
Cervical
Femoral
Back
Thoracic
Plantar
Lumbar
Head
Coccyx
Facial

13. Nerve Conduction Studies
Upper Extremity
Radial
Ulnar
Median
Nerve conduction testing may be charged for all three nerves within the upper extremity.
Each of these nerves can be subject to Motor or Sensory testing.
Under no circumstance should more than six nerve conduction studies be allowed per arm.

14. Nerve Conduction Studies
Nerve conduction testing may be charged for:
Tibial: Usually only the motor component is tested
Common Peroneal
Sural: Sensory component only
Femoral
Lower Extremity
Tibial
Peroneal
Sural
Femoral
Plantar
However, nerve conduction studies can only be billed per nerve, not per segment of a single nerve. You will learn later how providers often bill for segments of nerves incorrectly.
Occasionally, a test may be performed on both the medial and lateral plantar branch of the peroneal nerve.

15. Nerve Conduction Studies
Head
Facial
When facial nerves are tested, only one nerve on each side of the face should be billed.
Both motor and sensory components can be tested for a total not to exceed four studies.

16. Nerve Conduction Studies
The most commonly performed procedure codes billed for nerve conduction studies are:
Common NCS Procedure Codes:
Just like other types of services, providers often bill for nerve conduction studies incorrectly.
CPT 95900: Nerve conduction, Motor
CPT 95903: Nerve conduction, Motor with F-Wave
CPT 95904: Nerve conduction, Sensory
CPT 95934: H Reflex Study (Left or Right, up to 2)
Let’s take a look…

17. Nerve Conduction Studies
There are several things to be aware of when you process bills with charges for nerve conduction studies.
Things to Remember:
Why might this be?
The fee schedule states very clearly that testing is done per nerve. However, providers often mistakenly bill per segment.
Recall that CPT includes both motor and F-wave components of the nerve conduction study.
Always verify the number of nerves tested. Many providers tend to bill for multiple segments on the same nerve.
CPT should be denied if providers bill a CPT on the same nerve.

18. Psychiatry
Psychiatry focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of emotional and behavioral disorders.
While the psychiatry section of the CPT has been updated, California’s OMFS contains an outdated version of this section.
It is important to note providers often bill from the CPT, but will be paid according to OMFS.
This makes processing and reviewing bills difficult, as many codes have been added & descriptions have been revised.

19. Psychiatric Consultations
Psychiatric consultations differ from psychiatric treatment.
Like other types of consultations, psychiatric consultations are only billed with standard E & M consultation codes , and do not involve treatment.
Psychiatric consultations include:
Examination of the patient.
Communication with the family and primary physician.
Preparation of a report.

20. Psychiatric Treatments
Psychiatric treatments are billed with psychiatric treatment codes.
The key psychiatric treatment codes for individual psychotherapy are CPT
CPT is a BR code because it is “time unspecified.”
Psychiatrists are trained early to keep track of the time spent with each patient. Therefore, there is no need to pay a BR code.
This code should always be denied and sent back to the provider for a specific time period identification.

21. Psychiatric Treatments
In addition to individual psychotherapy codes, there are family psychotherapy codes.
These codes are not specified by time. Therefore, they are paid once per session.
That’s right! Check for documentation.
If multiple units are billed, what should you do?
If more than one unit is billed, documentation is required to verify multiple sessions occurred on a single date of service.

22. Psychiatric Treatments
Individual and family psychiatric treatment codes also include medical evaluation and drug management services.
Therefore, E & M visits and the drug management code, CPT 90862, are not allowed with these types of psychotherapy codes.

23. Other Therapeutic Services
In addition to psychiatric counseling, there are other types of therapeutic services.
Other therapeutic services, which include:
Electroconvulsive therapy
Narcosynthesis
Hypnotherapy
...may be billed with E & M services if significant, separately identifiable services are performed.

24. Other Therapeutic Services
Non-physician providers may bill for their services using medicine codes.
Recall from your study of Physician’s Services, that non-physician providers include:
Marriage counselors
Family counselors
Child counselors
Licensed social workers
Let’s take a look…

25. Other Therapeutic Services
Non-physician providers who bill CPT or CPT should use Modifier –88.
However, there is no value assigned to this modifier.
This tells you that the modifier is informational only.
What does this tell you?
-88
This modifier is used when psychiatric codes are billed by family or marriage counselors, as well as clinical social workers.

26. Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the medical service focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the eye.
The OMFS specifically states Special Ophthalmological Services are above and beyond the services included in the general exam and may be billed separately.
There has been confusion over whether ophthalmologists can bill for special services if they also charge for a general exam.

27. In this case, an additional E & M charge would be non-reimbursable.
Ophthalmology
General eye exams include a medical diagnostic evaluation.
What does this tell you?
Correct!
In this case, an additional E & M charge would be non-reimbursable.
Specifically, an additional E & M charge from CPT would be inappropriate.

28. Ophthalmology
Most ophthalmologic procedures are considered bilateral. However, in some instances only a single eye is examined or treated.
Under these circumstances, Modifier –52 is added to the appropriate CPT code.
-52 Reduced Services
This modifier is used if a service has been reduced from the standard procedure.

29. Summary Psychiatry Reimbursement Guidelines
Medicine: Services and Guidelines
Psychiatry Reimbursement Guidelines
Reimbursement of Other Therapeutic Services
Electromyography Reimbursement Guidelines
Nerve Conduction Study Reimbursement Guidelines
Reimbursement of Ophthamological Services