Carrier Payment Rules
If a test is personally performed by a physician or is supervised by a physician, such physician may bill under the normal physician fee schedule rules. This includes situations in which the test is performed or supervised by another physician with whom the billing physician shares a practice. Section 80, chapter 15, of Pub. 100-02, Medicare Benefit Polity, sets forth the various levels of physician supervision required for diagnostic tests. The supervision requirement for physician billing is not met when the test is administered by supplier personnel regardless of whether the test is performed at the physician’s office or at another location.
If a physician bills for a diagnostic test performed by an outside supplier, the fee schedule amount for the purchased service equals the lower of the billing physician’s fee schedule or the price he or she paid for the service. The lower figure is the fee schedule amount for purposes of the limiting charge. (See §30.3.12.1, chapter 1 of this publication.) The billing physician must identify the supplier (including the supplier’s provider number) and the amount the supplier charged the billing physician (net of any discounts). A physician who accepts assignment is permitted to bill and collect from the beneficiary only the applicable deductible and coinsurance for the purchased test. A physician who does not accept assignment is permitted to bill and collect from the beneficiary only the fee schedule amount (as defined above) for the purchased test. The limiting charge provision is not applicable.
If the physician does not identify the supplier and provide the other required information, no payment is allowed, and the physician may not bill the beneficiary any amount for the test.
