Baltimore

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services apparently jumped the gun when it introduced new orthotic/prosthetic codes earlier this year. CMS originally intended the new codes to take effect Oct. 1, 2002.

However, the agency's coding system will not be ready until January 2003 to process K-coded claims for orthotics and prosthetics, CMS announced in an Oct. 11 memorandum.

“Since there is a grace period for the discontinued ‘L’ codes, advise your providers to continue to bill the ‘L’ codes for the period Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2002,” CMS told the durable medical equipment regional carriers. “If claims containing the replacement ‘K’ codes are submitted, they will be rejected by the October OCE with edit reason code 06, ‘Invalid Procedure Code,’ and the claim will be returned to the provider.”

More information about these codes is available at http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/transmittals/comm_date_dsc.asp, under the heading “R1772B3.”

For breaking news, go to www.homecaremonday.com, the electronic news service of the home medical equipment industry.