Welcome to Medicare Preventive Visit

What are the compoments of a Welcome to Medicare Visit? The following explaination is from Palmetto found at:
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Railroad-Medicare~9LSQMA2210

Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) or Welcome to Medicare Preventive Visit

The Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) is also known as the 'Welcome to Medicare Preventive Visit.' The goals of the IPPE are health promotion and disease prevention and detection. This document explains the components included in the IPPE. You must provide, or provide and refer, all components of the IPPE prior to submitting a claim for the IPPE.

The Initial preventive physical examination; face-to-face visit services are limited to the new beneficiary during the first 12 the months of Medicare enrollment (G0402-Initial preventive physical examination).
The IPPE contains Seven Components:
Review of the individual's:

1. Medical and social history with attention to modifiable risk factors for disease detection
2. Potential (risk factors) for depression or other mood disorders
3. Functional ability and level of safety
4. Physical examination to include:
   • Measurement of the individual’s height
   • Weight
   • Blood pressure
   • Visual acuity screen
   • Measurement of body mass index; and
   • Other factors as deemed appropriate by the examining physician or qualified non-physician practitioner (NPP)
5. End of life planning, upon agreement of the beneficiary
   • End-of-life planning is verbal or written information provided to the beneficiary about:
     • The beneficiary’s ability to prepare an advance directive in the case that an injury or illness causes the beneficiary to be unable to make health care decisions; and
     • Whether or not you are willing to follow the beneficiary’s wishes as expressed in the advance directive
6. Based on the results of the review and evaluation services described in the previous five elements , the following would be provided
   • Education
   • Counseling
   • Referral, as deemed appropriate
7. Education, counseling, and referral including a brief written plan (e.g., a checklist or alternative) provided to the individual for obtaining the appropriate screening and other preventive services

Electro-cardiogram (EKG)

• MIPPA (Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act) removed the screening electrocardiogram (EKG) as a mandatory service of the IPPE
• Education, counseling, and referral for an EKG, as appropriate.
• This is a once-in-a-lifetime screening EKG as a result of a referral from an IPPE
• EKG HCPCS codes (G0403,G0404,G0405)

Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) The AWV is an annual Medicare preventive physical examination, available for eligible beneficiaries, and identified by HCPCS codes:

• G0438 (Annual wellness visit, including Personalized prevention Plan Services [PPPS], first visit)
• G0439 (Annual wellness visit, including PPPS, subsequent visit)

AWV services providing PPPS (HCPCS G0438) are a ‘one time’ allowed Medicare benefit and include the following key elements furnished to an eligible beneficiary by a health professional:

• Establishment of the individual’s medical/family history
• Measurement of the individual’s height, weight, body mass index (or waist circumference, if appropriate), blood pressure (BP), and other routine measurements as deemed appropriate, based on the individual’s medical and family history
• Establishment of a list of current providers and suppliers that are regularly involved in providing medical care to the individual
• Detection of any cognitive impairment that the individual may have
• Review of an individual’s potential risk factors for depression, including current or past experiences with depression or other mood disorders, based on the use of an appropriate screening instrument for persons without a current diagnosis of depression, which the health professional may select from various available standardized screening tests designed for this purpose and recognized by national professional medical organizations
• Review of the individual’s functional ability and level of safety, based on direct observation of the individual, or the use of appropriate screening questions or a screening questionnaire, which the health professional may select from various available screening questions or standardized questionnaires designed for this purpose and recognized by national professional medical organizations
• Establishment of a written screening schedule for the individual, such as a checklist for the next five to 10 years, as appropriate, based on recommendations of the USPSTF and Advisory Committee of Immunizations Practices (ACIP), the individual’s health status, screening history, and age-appropriate preventive services covered by Medicare
• Establishment of a list of risk factors and conditions of which primary, secondary, or tertiary interventions are recommended or underway for the individual, including any mental health conditions or any such risk factors or conditions that have been identified through an IPPE, and a list of treatment options and their associated risks and benefits
• Provision of personalized health advice to the individual and a referral, as appropriate, to health education or preventive counseling services or programs aimed at reducing identified risk factors and improving self-management or community-based lifestyle interventions to reduce health risks and promote self-management and wellness, including weight loss, physical activity, smoking cessation, fall prevention, and nutrition

Subsequent AWV Services: HCPCS G0439 Include the following key elements furnished to an eligible beneficiary by a health professional

• Update to the individual’s medical /family history
• Measurements of an individual’s weight (or waist circumference), BP, and other routine measurements as deemed appropriate, based on the individual’s medical and family history
• Update to the list of the individual’s current medical providers and suppliers that are regularly involved in providing medical care to the individual as that list was developed for the first AWV providing PPPS
• Detection of any cognitive impairment that the individual may have
• Update to the individual’s written screening schedule as developed at the first AWV providing PPPS
• Update to the individual’s list of risk factors and conditions for which primary, secondary, or tertiary interventions are recommended or are underway for the individual, as that list was developed at the first AWV providing PPPS
• Furnish appropriate personalized health advice to the individual and a referral, as appropriate, to health education or preventive counseling services or programs

Reporting a Medically Necessary E/M Service Furnished During the Same Encounter as an IPPE or AWV
When the physician or qualified NPP, or for AWV the health professional, provides a significant, separately identifiable medically necessary E/M service in addition to the IPPE or an AWV, CPT codes 99201 – 99215 may be reported depending on the clinical appropriateness of the circumstances.
CPT Modifier –25 shall be appended to the medically necessary E/M service identifying this service as a significant, separately identifiable service from the IPPE or AWV code reported (HCPCS code G0344 or G0402, whichever applies based on the date the IPPE is performed, or HCPCS code G0438 or G0439 whichever AWV code applies).
Some of the components of a medically necessary E/M service (e.g., a portion of history or physical exam portion) may have been part of the IPPE or AWV and should not be included when determining the most appropriate level of E/M service to be billed for the medically necessary, separately identifiable, E/M service.
References:

• CMS Internet-Only Manuals (IOMs), Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 280.5
• CMS Internet-Only Manuals (IOMs), Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 12, Section 30.6.1.1

last updated on 07/07/2014

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Disclaimer: This guidance is to be used for an easy reference; the ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM code books and the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting are the authoritative references for accurate and complete coding. This blog may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. The information presented herein is for general informational purposes only and is accurate as of the date of publication.