Do patients pay copay for 99211?

Asked by: Darlene Nader  |  Last update: August 24, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (51 votes)

A patients co-pay may well end up covering most of the visit, which is coded using CPT 99211 . Some practices feel hesitant about asking for a co-pay under these circumstances. Regardless of what the nurse does, if you charge for an office visit, you should, in most cases, bill the patient a co-pay, our sources say.

Is there a copay for 99211?

It is most commonly used in pediatrics when a child comes in for a urine test, a rapid strep test, or an immunization. The only problem with using CPT 99211 is that you must collect a co-pay from the parent.

What are the rules for billing 99211?

Using code 99211 to bill an 'incident to' service

Notes should indicate the degree of the physician's involvement and document the link between the services of the two providers. All 99211 services that don't document or demonstrate that an E/M service was performed and necessary will be denied upon review.

How much does 99211 cost?

CPT Code 99211: Get Paid $23 Per Patient for Nonphysician Services.

Does Medicare pay for CPT code 99211?

As with all services billed to Medicare, procedure code 99211 services must be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury. Procedure code 99211 requires a face-to-face encounter.

How to Calculate Patient and Payer Responsibility (Copay vs Coinsurance vs Deductible)

39 related questions found

Can 99211 be billed alone?

Can 99211 be billed alone? Yes. CPT code 99211 is separately billable. However, it should not be billed on time alone.

What CPT codes are not covered by Medicare?

Certain services are never considered for payment by Medicare. These include preventive examinations represented by CPT codes 99381-99397. Medicare only covers three immunizations (influenza, pneumonia, and hepatitis B) as prophylactic physician services.

Can 99211 be billed as telehealth?

How is an office visit conducted via audio-video billed? Office visit evaluation and management services (CPT codes 99202-99205, 99211-99215) furnished using audio-video telecommunications technology are reported using the same CPT codes as you would have had the visit been conducted in-person.

What is the CPT code for no charge visit?

The 11111 CPT code will register as a no charge visit to your front office staff on the practice management side.

Is 99211 still used?

However, CPT 99211 remains an Evaluation & Management service and requires both evaluation AND management elements. Evaluation ─ The record must include documentation of a clinically relevant and necessary exchange of information (historical information and/or physical data).

Can you charge a copay for a nurse visit?

A patients co-pay may well end up covering most of the visit, which is coded using CPT 99211 . Some practices feel hesitant about asking for a co-pay under these circumstances. Regardless of what the nurse does, if you charge for an office visit, you should, in most cases, bill the patient a co-pay, our sources say.

Can pharmacists bill 99211?

For Medicare patients, pharmacists are not recognized as Medicare Part B providers and can only bill “incident-to” the physician supervising in the practice or clinic. Consequently, pharmacists are restricted to billing at the 99211 code level.

Can you bill a 99211 for a weight check?

CPT code 99211 may be used to bill for a weight check when the following documentation is present in the nurse's note. The clinical reason for the check is clearly documented in the note. A list of the patient's current medications with his/her compliance level.

What is the billing guideline for 99211?

Basic Guidelines for CPT 99211
  • The patient must be established. ...
  • An E/M service must be provided. ...
  • Keep in mind that if another CPT code more accurately describes the service being provided, that code should be reported instead of 99211. ...
  • The service must be separate from other services performed on the same day.

Can you bill for a nurse visit?

A: The 99211 E/M visit is a nurse visit and should be used only by a medical assistant or a nurse when performing services such as wound checks, dressing changes or suture removal. CPT code 99211 should never be billed for physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner services.

How do you get billed for an ER visit?

Typically, you have a copay (a set dollar amount) or co-insurance (a percentage of the claim) due for services rendered. You pay a small part of the medical bill and your insurance company covers the rest. Your health insurance plan includes benefits for emergency room visits.

How much does a 99211 pay?

The benefits of 99211

Specific payment amounts will vary by payer, but the average unadjusted 2004 payment from Medicare for a 99211 service is $21. This means that only five 99211 encounters with Medicare patients in a week will result in over $5,000 per year for a practice.

Can a doctor not charge a patient?

"No charge" visits are prohibited if they are part of a fraudulent scheme. For example, a no charge visit is still a patient care encounter and must be fully documented. Assume that a patient has severe asthma and is waiting out a one year preexisting illness exclusion in a health insurance policy.

Do you need vitals to bill a 99211?

Typically, five minutes are spent performing or supervising these services.” Unlike the rest of the office visit codes, 99211 does not have any documentation requirements for the history, physical exam or complexity of medical decision making.

Can you bill 99211 to Medicare?

Services billed to Medicare under CPT code 99211 must be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of an illness or injury. This would include appropriately performed and documented anticoagulation management.

Can you bill telehealth and office visit on same day?

E-visits should not be billed on the same day the physician reports an office visit E/M service (CPT codes 99202-99205 and 99211-99215) for the same patient. Additionally, e-visits should not be billed when using the following codes for the same communication: 99091.

Can a medical assistant bill a 99211?

That means, you can bill 99211 for a medically necessary, face-to-face established patient service performed by a healthcare professional including a: Medical Assistant (MA) Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Licensed Practicing Nurse (LPN)

What are 3 services not covered by Medicare?

We don't cover these routine items and services: Routine or annual physical checkups (visit Medicare Wellness Visits to learn about exceptions). exams required by third parties, like insurance companies, businesses, or government agencies. Eye exams for prescribing, fitting, or changing eyeglasses.

How do I find out if a CPT code is covered by insurance?

If you are wondering if the services you are seeking will be covered, you can call your insurance company and provide the CPT code and ask if it will be covered.

What are the 6 things Medicare doesn't cover?

Some of the items and services Medicare doesn't cover include:
  • Eye exams (for prescription eyeglasses)
  • Long-term care.
  • Cosmetic surgery.
  • Massage therapy.
  • Routine physical exams.
  • Hearing aids and exams for fitting them.