News Report | November 7, 2011
Medicare Adds New Coverage for Preventive Depression, Alcohol Screening & Counseling in Primary Care
Starting January 1, 2012, Medicare will cover preventive primary care screenings for depression and alcohol misuse for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries; the new benefit also includes behavioral counseling for alcohol misuse at no cost to the beneficiary. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced details about the new benefit on October 14, 2011. Billing codes and reimbursement rates for the new screenings have not yet been released.
These new coverage policies add to the existing portfolio of covered preventive services, most of which are now available to people with Medicare at no additional cost . . .