Starting July 14, Cigna Healthcare will deny certain claims that are billed with a Z code and without documentation, a move that could add to physicians’ administrative burden.
Z codes are used to document social, environmental, and personal circumstances that influence a patient's health status, but are not diseases or injuries themselves.
Cigna will deny claims when practices bill certain evaluation and management (E/M) codes (99202-99215) with a preventive service code and a supporting Z diagnosis code – but not supplemental medical record documentation.
Physicians will need to refer to multiple policies by the payer to utilize both preventive services and problem-oriented E/M services for new and established patients on the same date of service, which Texas Medical Association billing and code experts caution could add to practices’ workload. Moreover, these services will not be payable by Cigna when billed with a Z diagnosis code alone.
TMA experts recommend including supporting medical record documentation with the diagnosis code for the problem E/M claim to identify why a preventive service – like dietary counseling, for example – was performed.
Physicians can also check Cigna’s preventive services policy for examples of Z codes or refer to Cigna’s E/M Reimbursement Policy for more payment information from the payer.
For payment and coding help from TMA experts who go to bat with payers for your practice, visit TMA’s Physician Payment Resource Center.
Last Updated On
April 24, 2024
Originally Published On
April 24, 2024
Alisa Pierce
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1469