Today various private and public ambulance transport services are operating in a huge number for servicing critical patients at crucial moments. These players are getting reimbursed under Medicare Part B which covers ambulance transport medical billing with certain limitations.
Let’s understand Medicare Part B in more detail:
Medicare Part B
Medicare Part B covers emergency ambulance services and, in limited cases, non-emergency ambulance services. Medicare considers an emergency to be any situation when your health is in serious danger and you cannot be transported safely by other means. If your trip is scheduled when your health is not in immediate danger, it is not considered an emergency.
Eligibility Criteria
Part B covers emergency ambulance services if:
- When the ambulance is the only safe way to transport you also known as (medically necessary).
- By following Medicare’s coverage guidelines, the patient is transported to/from a certain location.
- Medicare ambulance requirements are met by transport suppliers.
Part B covers non-emergency ambulance services if:
- The patient is unable to get up from bed without help, unable to walk, and unable to sit in a chair or wheelchair.
- Or need vital medical services during your trip that are only available in an ambulance.
You may find that Medicare may cover unscheduled or irregular non-emergency trips if you live in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and you have a doctor’s written order within 48 hours after the transport. Moreover, Medicare may also cover scheduled, regular trips if the ambulance supplier receives a written order from your doctor ahead of time stating that transport is medically necessary.
All insurance companies including Medicare and Medicaid pay for ambulance and emergency services. However, you will find ambulance transport medical billing is complicated due to need for the unique and detailed modifiers and the various modes of transport include ground, water, fixed-wing, and rotary-wing.
Take a look at the following CPT codes and various modifiers used in ambulance transport medical billing:
CPT codes and reimbursement for ambulance transport medical billing
For reimbursement of ambulance transport medical billing, healthcare providers should record correct clinical documentation and later coding and billing are strictly based on this recorded documentation. When it comes to coding you will find eight categories of ground ambulance services which include both land and water transportation.
The codes must be selected based on the patient’s condition and services provided at the time of transport.
The following CPT codes are available for ambulance transport:
CPT Code |
Description |
| A0425 | Ground mileage, quantity is per mile, and the reimbursement for mileage is generally based on the insurance company’s perception of who is the closest appropriate provider |
| A0426 | Advanced Life Support Level 1, Non-Emergency |
| A0427 | Advanced Life Support Level 1, Emergency |
| A0428 | Basic Life Support, Non-Emergency |
| A0429 | Basic Life Support, Emergency |
| A0432 | Paramedic Intercept |
| A0433 | Advanced Life Support Level 2, Emergency or Non-Emergency |
| A0434 | Specialty Care Transport |
Modifiers used for ambulance transport medical billing:
Two characters of Modifiers show origin and destination where first is used for the origin and second for the destination. Some of the available modifiers include, but are not limited to:
Modifier |
Description |
| D | Diagnostic or therapeutic site |
| E | Residential, domiciliary, or custodial facility |
| G | Hospital-based dialysis facility |
| H | Hospital |
| I | Site of transfer between modes of transport |
| J | Non-hospital-based dialysis center |
| N | Skilled nursing facility |
| P | Physician’s office |
| R | Residence |
| S | Scene of accident |
| X | Intermediate stop at physician’s office en route to the hospital. |
Second modifiers for ambulance transport medical billing:
Here some second modifiers are present which are included after the origin and destination modifier. These can include but are not limited to:
Modifier |
Description |
| CR | Related to a catastrophe or declared disaster |
| GA | ABN was required and obtained |
| GM | Multiple patient modes of transport |
| GW | Hospice patient, unrelated to the hospice diagnosis |
| GX | ABN was optional and obtained |
| GY | Service that is statutorily excluded |
| GZ | ABN was required but not obtained |
| QJ | Incarcerated patient |
| QL | Patient pronounced dead after ambulance called |
| QM | Under the arrangement |
Are you still finding ambulance transport medical billing complicated? We are here to help you. We are a billing firm which helps ambulance providers appropriately optimize their reimbursement rates with the help of correct billing and coding accuracy, and improve revenue cycle processes.
FAQs:
1. What does Medicare Part B cover for ambulance services?
Medicare Part B covers emergency ambulance services and, in limited cases, non-emergency services when medically necessary.
2. What qualifies as an emergency for ambulance transport?
An emergency is when a patient’s health is in serious danger and cannot be safely transported by other means.
3. What are the eligibility criteria for non-emergency ambulance services?
Non-emergency services may be covered if the patient cannot get up without help or needs vital medical services during transport.
4. Why is ambulance transport billing considered complicated?
Ambulance billing is complex due to the need for specific modifiers and unique codes for various transport modes, such as ground and air.
5. How can a billing firm assist with ambulance transport billing?
A billing firm can optimize reimbursement rates by ensuring accurate coding and billing processes, helping providers improve their revenue cycle.
