Billing update: UHC overpayment letters go paperless; monkeypox CPT codes added
Two billing and coding updates that ISMA members should be aware of occurred late last month. UnitedHealthcare announced that, starting Sept. 23, letters concerning overpayment that it has been sending directly will only be posted online. And, the AMA announced that it has added Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)® codes for monkeypox testing and vaccinations.

UnitedHealthcare overpayment letters go paperless
UnitedHealthcare has announced that overpayment notification letters sent directly by UnitedHealthcare for most commercial and UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans to network health care professionals (primary and ancillary) and facilities will go paperless, starting Sept. 23.

This includes the following:
  • Overpayment identified: Notifies you that UnitedHealthcare paid too much on a processed claim.
  • Overpayment reconsideration requests: Acknowledges UnitedHealthcare received your request to review its overpayment determination.
  • Overpayment reconsideration decision: Provides the outcome of the reconsideration review and outlines what happens next.
The change includes letters sent by Optum for payment accuracy reviews performed on behalf of UnitedHealthcare. It does not include overpayment letters sent by any other vendor. Those letters will continue to be mailed. Most will include both the vendor and UnitedHealthcare logos and explain their review was done on UnitedHealthcare’s behalf.

For further details, including how to view the overpayment letters and where to direct questions, read the notice online here.

AMA adds CPT codes for monkeypox tests, vaccinations
On July 26, the AMA announced an update to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)®, that includes a new laboratory test code for the orthopoxvirus and two codes for the vaccines being utilized to prevent monkeypox infection.

“These new CPT codes are effective for immediate use and are designed to clinically distinguish the diagnostic test and vaccinations for monkeypox to support data-driven tracking, reporting and analysis necessary for resource planning and allocation during the public health response to the outbreak,” the AMA said in a news release.
 
Read the AMA news release >>