Dear Fellow WCMS members,
Medicare will now reimburse your practice when you talk to patients about end-of-life care, including the legal documents: (Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will). Hopefully this will better enable you to spend some time during office visits on this very important topic. When you have an introductory discussion at an office visit, you can use the CPT code 99497 and charge for this extra service. If you would then refer the patient to us, my colleagues and I can answer additional questions and then help the patient complete and notarize the legal documents for the patient's medical record in your office.
All you have to do is write the date/time of our next workshop on an Rx slip, and give it to the patient; you can always quickly obtain the date of the next workshop by Googling "OLLI ACP" on your smart phone.
At the UNCA College for seniors (now called O.L.L.I.), one of my volunteer retirement activities is to coordinate an Advance Care Planning Workshop every 4 months. Check this link to learn all about these free 2-hr sessions, open to any adult. The next workshop is Friday, February 5, 2016, 3-5 p.m. at the Reuter Center.
So far we have had 12 workshops, attended by over 650 adults, half of whom completed and notarized the NC Short form (used by Mission Hospital, includes Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney). I hope we can help you. And....thanks for helping me by referring some patients.
Sincerely,
David Mouw MD PhD MAHEC Family Practice Faculty 1997-2007
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