HURRUH FOR A NEW TELEDENTISTRY ITEM CODE, BUT WHAT ELSE?

Australian dental practitioners are rapidly moving to teledentistry as a solution during the COVID-19 pandemic for remote patient and practitioner communication and dental care triage management.

Good news has come with the ADA release of a temporary item code 919 specifically for use with emergency teledentistry consults, available from April 14 - June 30, 2020, then subject to review.

But other item codes and billing requirements are not yet clearly designed for virtual dental consults, creating confusion around what codes can and can’t be used.

Does that mean that practitioners can only do emergency teledentistry consults using item code 919? No!

Here’s an overview of which codes can be used - and so may be eligible for a health fund rebate for patients, and codes that practitioners need to avoid.

ITEM CODES TO AVOID WITH TELEDENTISTRY

Any item code that stipulates a physical interaction with the patient in its description.

This is all the examination item codes such as 011, 012, 013.

Any item codes that describes a physical procedure done to a patient ie invasive care. Typically this will be many (but not all) codes related to the following sections of the current ADA fee schedule:

• preventive, prophylactic and bleaching services (100s)

• periodontics (200s)

• oral surgery (300s)

• endodontics (400s)

• restorative (500s)

• prosthodontics (600s)

• orthodontics (800s)

• general services (900s)

ITEM CODES THAT CAN BE USED WITH TELEDENTISTRY

Any item code that does not stipulate physical contact with the patient.

Any item code that describes a consultation, screening, assessment or review, advice or counselling, diagnostic, referral or report service ie non-invasive care. Typically this will be some (but not all) codes related to the following sections of the current ADA fee schedule:

• diagnostic services (000s)

• other preventive services (100s)

• general services (900s)

To download your own 1-page quick reference guide to the specific item codes ViDe practitioners use with teledentistry, click here.

And remember, multiple item codes can be used together in the one teledentistry session to reflect all services provided to the patient at that time.

By Dr Christine May Principal Dentist and Founder of ViDe Virtual Dental.

The information in this article does not replace information about item codes or the fee schedule provided by the Australian Dental Association.

Information current as of April 15, 2020 and subject to change without notice.