Coding Compliance and the Public Health Emergency

Abstract

Many government payers and health plans adopted new payment policies effective until further notification from the payer, until the end of the public health emergency (PHE) prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, or for a designated period beyond the PHE (eg, until the end of the year after the year in which the PHE ended). While these payer policies have been greatly beneficial in allowing pediatricians and other physicians to increase utilization of telemedicine, telephone visits, and other methods of providing patient care without an in-person visit, there are coding challenges and compliance pitfalls to recognize and address.