Billing and Coding: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

This article gives guidance for billing, coding, and other guidelines in relation to local coverage policy L36469 - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). General Guidelines for Claims submitted to Part A or Part B MAC: Procedure codes may be subject to National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits or OPPS packaging edits. Refer to NCCI and OPPS requirements prior to billing Medicare. For services requiring a referring/ordering physician, the name and NPI of the referring/ordering physician must be reported on the claim. A claim submitted without a valid ICD-10-CM diagnosis code will be returned to the provider as an incomplete claim under Section 1833(e) of the Social Security Act. The diagnosis code(s) must best describe the patient's condition for which the service was performed. For diagnostic tests, report the result of the test if known; otherwise the symptoms prompting the performance of the test should be reported. Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) Modifier Guidelines An ABN may be used for services which are likely to be non-covered, whether for medical necessity or for other reasons. Refer to CMS Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 30, for complete instructions. Effective from April 1, 2010, non-covered services should be billed with modifier –GA, -GX, -GY, or –GZ, as appropriate. The –GA modifier (“Waiver of Liability Statement Issued as Required by Payer Policy”) should be used when physicians, practitioners, or suppliers want to indicate that they anticipate that Medicare will deny a specific service as not reasonable and necessary and they do have an ABN signed by the beneficiary on file. Modifier GA applies only when services will be denied under reasonable and necessary provisions, sections 1862(a)(1), 1862(a)(9), 1879(e), or 1879(g) of the Social Security Act. Effective April 1, 2010, Part A MAC systems will automatically deny services billed with modifier GA. An ABN, Form CMS-R-131, should be signed by the beneficiary to indicate that ‎he/she accepts responsibility for payment.‎ The -GA modifier may also be used on assigned claims when a patient refuses to sign the ABN and the latter is properly witnessed. For claims submitted to the Part A MAC, occurrence code 32 and the date of the ABN is required. Modifier GX (“Notice of Liability Issued, Voluntary Under Payer Policy”) should be used when the beneficiary has signed an ABN, and a denial is anticipated based on provisions other than medical necessity, such as statutory exclusions of coverage or technical issues. An ABN is not required for these denials, but if non-covered services are reported with modifier GX, will automatically be denied services. The –GZ modifier should be used when physicians, practitioners, or suppliers want to indicate that they expect that Medicare will deny an item or service as not reasonable and necessary and they have not had an ABN signed by the beneficiary. ‎If the service is statutorily non-covered, or without a benefit category, submit the ‎appropriate CPT/HCPCS code with the -GY modifier. An ABN is not required for these denials, and the limitation of liability does not apply for beneficiaries. Services with modifier GY will automatically deny. Documentation Requirements 1. All documentation must be maintained in the patient’s medical record and available to the contractor upon request. 2. Every page of the record must be legible and include appropriate patient identification information (e.g., complete name, dates of service(s)). The documentation must include the legible signature of the physician or non-physician practitioner responsible for and providing the care to the patient. 3. The medical record documentation must support the medical necessity of the services as directed in this policy. 4. The attending physician must monitor and document the patient's clinical progress during treatment. The attending physician must use evidence-based validated depression monitoring scales such as the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9), the Beck Depression Scale (BDI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) or the Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Systems Review (IDS-SR) to monitor treatment response and the achievement of remission of symptoms. Utilization Guidelines The treatment must be provided by use of a device approved by the FDA for the purpose of supplying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. It is expected that the services would be performed as indicated by current medical literature and standards of practice. Services performed in excess of established parameters may be subject to review for medical necessity. TMS is reasonable and necessary for up to 20 visits over a 4 week period followed by five visits for tapering for those in remission. For those who show at least a 25% improvement by means of the standard tests for depression, the therapy may be continued for an additional 2 weeks (an additional 10 visits) with an additional 6 visits for tapering. Further treatment of an episode of depression beyond this, for patients who have not achieved at least a 50% reduction in symptoms will be considered not medically reasonable and necessary and not subject to coverage. Retreatment may be considered for patients who met the guidelines for initial treatment and subsequently developed relapse of depressive symptoms if the patient responded to prior treatments as evidenced by a greater than 50% improvement in standard rating scale measurements for depressive symptoms or if there were a relapse after remission...(e.g., (GDS), PHQ-9, BDI, HAM-D, MADRS, QIDS or IDS-SR score. A repeat treatment program is allowed as above.