Can you bill preventive codes such as obesity screening (G0447) with annual wellness visit (AWV) codes G0438 or G0439?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allow separate reporting of many preventive services in addition to an AWV. (Note, however, that many preventive services are not separately reported when providing the initial preventive physical examination, G0402.) The following list includes some of the newer preventive service benefits that may be separately reported when provided in addition to an AWV: G0442, Annual alcohol misuse screening, 15 minutes,G0443, Brief face-to-face behavioral counseling for alcohol misuse, 15 minutes,G0444, Annual depression screening, 15 minutes (allowed only with G0439),G0445, High-intensity behavioral counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections, face-to-face, individual, performed semi-annually, includes: education, skills training, and guidance on how to change sexual behavior, 30 minutes,G0446, Annual, face-to-face intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, individual, 15 minutes,G0447, Face-to-face behavioral counseling for obesity, 15 minutes.Each of these preventive services has specific diagnosis codes, frequency limitations, and documentation requirements, and each may be limited to provision by primary care physicians in certain places of service. For more information on the requirements for reporting these services, see the Medicare Learning Network's list of preventive services products.