NP billing issue/question

I am a NP working in a private practice. One part of my job is to go to the hospital and see new Consults. I exam the patient, write up the note, and initiate care. My physician is available as needed for me to discuss with the patient.

I have my own medicare number for billing.

I was recently approached by a NP working for the hospitalist group who told me that per medicare rules, I could not develop a plan nor initiate care for the new consults.

However, I have reviewed the Non-Physician Practitioners Manual and I cannot find anything that indicates that; nor have the billing specialists in our practice. I have sent a note to my state's NP board and the AANP to see if they know.

But I thought I would put a note out and see if anyone knows anything about it.

thanks

The other NP is wrong. The Medicare billing manual clearly states that non-physician providers can provide any physician services that they are qualified for. What you cannot do is co bill for the consult. This is probably a way for the physicians in the other NPs service to maximize (their) reimbursement.

http://www.aapa.org/paf/images/stories/documents/partners/medicare_web_copy.pdf

Specifically (the law is the same for NPs):