Physicians who participate in Next Generation Accountable Care Organizations (NGACOs) are about to see new benefits that will make it easier for them to treat patients who are not covered by original Medicare. Starting January 1st, 2019, patients who do not participate in the traditional fee-for-service Medicare model will still be able to receive two home visits per year, as long as these visits are within 90 days of the patient seeing an NGACO participant.

Under these changes, any items or services that were already covered by Medicare Part B will still be covered as long as they are billed incident to the main service. Additionally, Medicare plans to waive the requirement for direct supervision, meaning that ancillary staff members will be able to perform these services as well. However, CMS cautions that this care management is not the same as a home health benefit, so patients who already receive home health care will not be eligible for both.

The complete list of eligible care management codes is as follows:

• G0076: Brief (20 minutes) care management home visit for a new patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0077: Limited (30 minutes) care management home visit for a new patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0078: Moderate (45 minutes) care management home visit for a new patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0079: Comprehensive (60 minutes) care management home visit for a new patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0080: Extensive (75 minutes) care management home visit for a new patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0081: Brief (20 minutes) care management home visit for an existing patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0082: Limited (30 minutes) care management home visit for an existing patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0083: Moderate (45 minutes) care management home visit for an existing patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0084: Comprehensive (60 minutes) care management home visit for an existing patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0085: Extensive (75 minutes) care management home visit for an existing patient. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0086: Limited (30 minutes) care management home care plan oversight. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)
• G0087: Comprehensive (60 minutes) care management home care plan oversight. For use only in a Medicare-approved CMMI model. (Services must be furnished within a beneficiary’s home, domiciliary, rest home, assisted living and/or nursing facility.)