CMS Provides Guidance on Voluntary Use of ABNs

A transmittal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides guidance on the voluntary use of advance beneficiary notices and adjustments to two modifiers used when billing for these services, according to a report in MLN Matters.

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Effective April 10, 2010, two level 2 HCPCS modifiers have been updated to distinguish between voluntary and required use of liability notices. The modifiers are:

  • -GA, which has been redefined to mean “Waiver of Liability Statement Issued as Required by Payor Policy,” and should be used to report when a required ABN was issued for a service.
  • -GX, which has been created with the definition “Notice of Liability Issued, Voluntary Under Payor Policy” and is to be used to report when a voluntary ABN was issued for a service.

More information on when to use ABNs and the modifiers is available in CMS’s Transmittal 1840 (pdf).

Read the MLN Matters report on changes to ABNs (pdf).

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