Along with the growing spread of COVID-19, Texas physicians have been trying to sort out an evolving set of temporary payer policies spawned by the crisis.
Unfortunately, these policies vary from one health plan to another: One payer waives copays only for COVID-19-related telemedicine visits, while another waives copays for any diagnosis. Some specify place-of-service code 02 for these visits, others code 11. Some use terms like “virtual care” differently than others.
If you’re trying to sort out the various policies, the Texas Medical Association has created tools and resources, including a brand new webinar and our Practice Viability Toolkit, to help keep you up to date as they evolve.
The webinar, Payer Updates in the Time of COVID-19, offers guidance in sorting through the inconsistent patchwork of varying COVID-19 billing and coding policies. It is accredited for 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
TMA’s Practice Viability Toolkit includes a section that outlines each payer’s policies:
- Medicare;
- Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
- Commercial plans;
- Texas Department of Insurance-regulated plans; and
- Workers’ compensation.
The toolkit also covers other important topics such as telemedicine, cash flow, coding and documentation, human resources, and state and federal guidelines, rules, regulations, and flexibilities related to COVID-19.
You can find the toolkit, webinar, and other resources and information on the practice viability section of the TMA COVID-19 Resource Center.
Last Updated On
April 16, 2020
Originally Published On
April 16, 2020