Business of medicine Advocacy win: Aetna stops denials of modifier 25 claims Aetna is disabling automatic claims denials of E/M services billed on the same day as OMT and appended with modifier 25. Jan. 14, 2020Tuesday AOA Staff Contact AOA Staff Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email In a significant win for DOs and their patients, Aetna has agreed to disable automatic claims denials of E/M services billed on the same day as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and appended with modifier 25. How the change happened The AOA began advocating for this change in 2019, when it became aware of this issue. The AOA worked closely with its physician liaison at Aetna to implement the change, which allows E/M services billed on the same day as OMT codes 98925-98929 to bypass claims edits that previously triggered the denials. The Maine Osteopathic Association also provided advocacy support. This change could affect DOs practicing in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Physicians participating in Aetna’s health care professional networks who provide OMT on the same day as E/M services should now see significantly fewer claims denials. ‘We are thrilled’ “We are thrilled to see Aetna eliminate the automatic denial process that caused significant administrative headaches to so many of our physicians who provide OMT to their patients,” says AOA President Ronald Burns, DO, FACOFP. “This change will allow DOs to spend more time on patient care and less time on paperwork.” The change is effective for services rendered on or after Jan. 1, 2020. For denials prior to this date, the AOA encourages physicians to appeal unfavorable payer decisions. If Aetna rejects a claim for E/M services billed on the same day as OMT and appended with modifier 25 for services provided on or after Jan. 1, please contact AOA Physician Services at physicianservices@osteopathic.org for assistance. More information is available on the AOA’s Private Payer Advocacy page. More in Advocacy Students and health policy: The importance of getting involved and where to start Osteopathic medical students have a variety of opportunities available to them when it comes to participating in and influencing the health care policies that will directly impact their future patients. AOA responds to ‘The View’ regarding misleading comments “Comments implying that DOs are not medical doctors could not be further from the truth,” reads the AOA response to producers of the show. Previous articleWhat price do DOs pay for delaying medical school? Next articleThe 10 medical specialties that were most in demand in 2019
Students and health policy: The importance of getting involved and where to start Osteopathic medical students have a variety of opportunities available to them when it comes to participating in and influencing the health care policies that will directly impact their future patients.
AOA responds to ‘The View’ regarding misleading comments “Comments implying that DOs are not medical doctors could not be further from the truth,” reads the AOA response to producers of the show.