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The AOA advocates with private payers to decrease administrative burden for physicians, streamline payment of claims and improve outcomes for patients. Working on behalf of the nation’s 197,000+ DOs and medical students, the AOA physician services team engages with health care payers when policies delay or deny patient care, create added administrative work or otherwise hinder efficient health care delivery.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Physician Services or call (312) 202-8194. If your AOA membership is not current and you wish to take advantage of this and all other AOA member benefits, you may join or renew your membership online.
Insurers continue to target claims involving modifier 25 with policies that trigger automatic audits, some may be based on the diagnosis and time between claims, others are based strictly on the use of the modifier. Other denials may be for prepayment clinical validation for a range of modifiers. AOA works closely with members experiencing increased denials or payment delays.
Insurers are targeting claims involving Modifier 25 with policies that trigger automatic audits, based on the diagnosis and time between claims, as well as prepayment clinical validation for a range of modifiers. AOA works closely with members experiencing increased denials or payment delays.
The Physician Services Team meets with Aetna annually to learn about new policies, or as warranted to express concerns from members.
Sept. 2023 | Liberalized COVID-19 telemedicine services no longer effective Dec. 1, 2023
March 2022 | E/M Levels 4 or 5 Coding Edits
Sept. 2020 | New York New Claim Edits Billing with Modifier -25
Sept. 2020 | New Jersey Re-activated Code Edits Modifier -25
The Physician Services Team meets with Anthem monthly to learn about new policies and to express concerns from members.
March 2020 Modifier use reminders – Reimbursement Policies updates
Oct. 2019 The DO Anthem proceeds with Modifier 25 audits, prepayment clinical validation policy
Blue Shield of California
June 2024 | Following advocacy efforts by the AOA/AOIA Physician Services Team, the AOA has been informed by Blue Shield of California (BSC) that they have rescinded the recently announced update to their Global Surgical Period Payment Policy. The policy would have reduced their reimbursement by 50% for evaluation and management (E&M) services appended with modifier 25 and billed along with minor procedure codes that have a global period of 0-10 days, like osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). This advocacy win is due to joint efforts in the form of a letter sent by the AOA, AOA Physician Services and the Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California (OPSC) on behalf of its physician and student members
May 2024 | Global Surgical Period Policy effective date of service on or after July 14, 2024, when certain office or other outpatient visit E/M procedures (CPT codes: 92002, 92004, 92012, 92014 and 99201-99215) appended with Modifier 25 are billed appropriately during the minor (0- or 10-day) by the same specialty physician and/or other health care professional performing the 0/10 day global procedure, Blue Shield of California will reimburse the E/M services at 50% of the Blue Shield Provider Allowance.
Florida Blue
Jan. 2022 | Evaluation and Management for Office or Other Outpatient Services
Sept. 2021 | Submitting Claims with Multiple Diagnosis
Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Dec. 2023 | Update on Chiropractic and Osteopathic Manipulation benefits
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
June 2024 | Effective June 27, 2024, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has made the decision to rescind the reimbursement policy for evaluation and management (E&M) services with a fifty percent (50%) reduction when performed by the same provider/group practice on the same day as a minor procedure. This decision to rescind is applicable to all lines of business, including Commercial, Host, State Health Plan (SHP), Federal Employee Program (FEP) and Medicare Advantage. The above update is in reference to this previously posted Provider News.
May 2024 | Effective Sept. 1, 2024, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) will begin reimbursing evaluation and management services at fifty percent (50%) when performed by the same provider/group practice on the same day as a minor procedure. This policy update applies to Commercial, Host, State Health Plan (SHP), Federal Employee Program (FEP) and Medicare Advantage.
Jan. 2022 BCBSIL Commercial Claims Editing Coming April 2022
BCBSTX General Reimbursement Information
June 2018 BCBSTX Modifier 25 and 59 FAQs
April 2018 BCBSTX Claim Filing Tips
Oct. 2017 BCBSTX Blue Review code-auditing software implementation
Horizon Blue
Dec. 2022 | E&M Codes Appended with Modifier 25
May 2022 | Claim Reimbursement Update: E&M with Modifier 25
Nov. 2021 | Horizon E/M with OMT
April 2022 | Revised Claim Editing Rules
Aug. 2022 | Reimbursement Update: E/M -25
Regence
Aug. 2024 | The Connection announced postponing updates to the Modifier 25; Significant, Separately Identifiable Service (Modifier #103) and Global Days (Administrative #101) reimbursement policies. They had previously announced in the June 2024 issues of The Bulletin and The Connection that they would update these policies effective Sept. 1, 2024. Look for more information in the Oct. 2024 issues of The Bulletin and newsletter.
June 2024 | Effective Sept. 1, 2024. When Modifier 25 is appropriately appended to an evaluation & management (E&M) service and is submitted on the same date of service as a minor procedure, by the same physician or other qualified health care provider, the E&M service will be reimbursed at 50% of the allowed amount. Regence announced change to their Global Days #101 and Modifier 25 #103 reimbursement policies but has not been updated as of yet.
AOA Physician Services communicated with Regence and Cambia (Regence parent company) leadership regarding customer service issues and various reimbursement policies, especially related to denials for E&M with OMT services. Regence responded that appealed claims have a 3.4% overturn rate and that they have adjusted their claim editing process, beginning in 2022, which demonstrates less overall impact to providers. Regence confirmed that changes were made in their customer service department that hopefully result in better provider experience. The AOA will continue to aggressively pursue Regence action. If you are still having customer service issues with Regence, please let Physician Services know. Studies show that 65% of denied claims annually do not get appealed. We strongly encourage physicians to appeal against all claims.
Nov. 2023 Chiropractic and Osteopathic Treatments Policy No. 138 | Effective March 1, 2024
Nov. 2022 Chiropractic & Osteopathic Treatments Policy 138
Sept. 2022 Bundling Edits Policy 105
July 2022 Modifier 25: Significant, Separately Identifiable Service
Register for Provider News – The Bulletin & The Connection
Reimbursement Policy Feedback Form
Regence medical policy comments from physicians and other health care professionals
Premera
May 2023 manipulation services: In the osteopathic manipulative treatment section, added that an assessment is considered part of the manipulation procedure code. Also added reference to the CMS National Physician Fee Schedule stating that the OMT codes are classified as minor procedures.
Jan. 2023 E&M Visit: Added third paragraph to indicate that the appending of Modifier 25 is not a guarantee of payment. Added the last paragraph in the policy to indicate appending Modifier 25 to the E&M must be documented in the notes as a separate and distinct E&M service.
March 2022 Modifier 25 Policy Updates: Added clarification on the correct use of Modifier 25 on evaluation and management (E&M) services indicating that appending Modifier 25 does not result in automatic reimbursement unless supported by the documentation in the member’s medical record as a separately identifiable service.
Cigna
The Physician Services Team meets with Cigna annually to learn about new policies, or as warranted to express concerns from members.
Following advocacy efforts by the AOA/AOIA Physician Services Team, the AMA and impacted specialties, Cigna announced that it delayed the implementation of their reimbursement policy requiring the submission of office notes with claims submitted with E/M codes 99212-99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. The policy was scheduled to take effect on Aug. 13, 2022, and again on May 25, 2023. While Cigna remains committed to ensuring appropriate usage and reporting of Modifier 25, they have acknowledged that the policy does not comply with clean claims laws in 24 states. Cigna has not provided a new potential implementation date for the policy.
Official Cigna Notification Banner: Cigna will delay the implementation to require the submission of documentation to support the use of Modifier 25 when billed with E/M CPT® codes 99212 – 99215 and a minor procedure. Cigna will continue to review for future implementation.
Modifier 25 Reimbursement Policy: Modifier 25 – Significant, Separately Identifiable Evaluation and Management Service by the Same Physician on the Same Day of the Procedure or Other Service
Cigna Evaluation & Management Coding Program
Cigna Information to Establish Medical Necessity
Humana
The Physician Services Team meets with Humana semiannually to learn about new policies or sooner if warranted to express concerns from members.
Oct. 2019 | Humana E/M billed with Modifier 25
Registration Humana Newsletter
UnitedHealthcare
The Physician Services Team meets with UHC monthly to learn about new policies and to express concerns from members.
The AOA has joined the multi-organizational sign-on letter (172 national and state medical specialty societies, patient organizations, foundations, physician groups, hospitals and industry) to UHC asking them not to implement the United Healthcare’s (UHC) gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy prior authorization program.
June 2023 | Prior authorization for gastroenterology endoscopy services
March 2022 | UHC Electronic Payment Requirements
2022 | Smart Edits FAQ
2022 | UnitedHealthcare Smart Edits
2022 | UHC Significant, Separately Identifiable Evaluation and Management Service
Aug. 2021 | UHC MA Osteopathic Manipulations Policy Guidelines
July 2021 | UHC Commercial Manipulative Therapy Medical Policy