Credentialing and Reimbursement in Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Abstract

This article addresses issues surrounding credentialing and reimbursement for point-of-care emergency ultrasound. Specifically, certification, privileging, and accreditation in emergency ultrasound are defined, and examples of how these concepts are typically used in the United States are given. Methods of reimbursement are discussed, including the impact of point-of-care ultrasound use on evaluation and management codes and basic structure of current procedure and terminology codes including technical and professional components. Key requirements for reimbursement including documentation of medical necessity, findings, and image archival are covered. Future directions in point-of-care ultrasound credentialing and reimbursement are discussed.