vitual visits

[Guest guest]

, or anyone else doing this, can you use the 99444 for telephone/snail mail based non-face-to-face encounters? My datebase says " ONLINE E/M BY PHYSICIAN " when I look up that code. Does that mean I have to have a web based portal for this? I have a patient requesting me to treat her tobacco abuse by calling in Chantix. I have previously talked to her about the need to quit smoking, so this is not a new problem, but she has not had a prescription for this. Seems like a very appropriate " virtual visit " service, so as to not become a barrier to her quitting smoking. I was thinking of using this as a test case for the 99444 to see if it gets paid. I hate to waste a ton of time and energy setting up a system to do vitual visits if it doesn't get paid for anyway.

Any hints would be great, Thanks,-- Annie SkaggsLexington, KY

[Guest guest]

Annie 99444 is only for online stuff here is the link to the FPM articel about phone visits also--http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20080100/16cpt2.html

JEan

, or anyone else doing this, can you use the 99444 for telephone/snail mail based non-face-to-face encounters? My datebase says " ONLINE E/M BY PHYSICIAN " when I look up that code. Does that mean I have to have a web based portal for this? I have a patient requesting me to treat her tobacco abuse by calling in Chantix. I have previously talked to her about the need to quit smoking, so this is not a new problem, but she has not had a prescription for this. Seems like a very appropriate " virtual visit " service, so as to not become a barrier to her quitting smoking. I was thinking of using this as a test case for the 99444 to see if it gets paid. I hate to waste a ton of time and energy setting up a system to do vitual visits if it doesn't get paid for anyway.

Any hints would be great, Thanks,-- Annie SkaggsLexington, KY

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