Telehealth visits available to Medicare Advantage patients including annual wellness visits

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) encourages providers to remind BCBSKS Medicare Advantage patients of their option to complete visits using telehealth.

Remember that for all telehealth visits, the documentation in the office note must include specific information:

Type of telehealth contact (e.g., visual, audio, email, portal)
Type of video service (e.g., Skype, Zoom, BlueJeans)
Location of patient and provider
Patient informed consent documented (i.e., he or she understands and accepts the privacy and security risks of telehealth medicine)

The following may also be documented via telehealth, telephone, e-visits, and virtual check-ins:

Patient self-reported blood pressure readings from any digital device
Advanced illness and frailty exclusions

In addition, Medicare Advantage patients can also complete a free annual wellness visit as:

A traditional face-to-face visit in your office.
An online telehealth visit using a smartphone, computer, or tablet with audio and video capability.
A telephone-only visit for patients who do not have video capability.

The CPT codes are:

G0402: Welcome to Medicare Visit
G0438: Annual wellness visit, initial
G0439: Annual wellness visit, subsequent

If you have any questions, please contact your BCBSKS Provider Representative. View the Controlling Blood Pressure tip sheet and the Advanced Illness and Frailty Exclusions Guide.

Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set. HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).