This article is for professional providers, outpatient facilities, and urgent care centers caring for our members
We understand the need to provide easy access to testing and care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers across the state are setting up drive-through options to expedite widespread coronavirus testing. The following billing guidelines have been established for the duration of the Massachusetts state of emergency.
Drive-through billing guidelines
When testing patients in a drive-through or other temporary setting (such as a tent), please use the following codes for claims with dates of service on or after March 1, 2020. These codes apply to all commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Federal Employee Program (FEP) members.
| Code | Comments |
|---|---|
|
99001 |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is temporarily allowing reimbursement for this code for drive-through testing specimen collection* |
|
G2023 |
Specimen collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), any specimen source* |
*Reimbursement for these codes is included in the payment for an evaluation or management (E/M) service if reported by the same provider on the same day, for the same member.
Please also use one of the following applicable place of service codes that describes the location of the drive-through or temporary testing site.
| Place of service code | Location |
|---|---|
| POS 11 | Office |
| POS 15 | Mobile unit |
| POS 20 | Urgent care facility |
| POS 22/19 | On/off campus outpatient hospital |
| POS 23 | Emergency room hospital |
We will update our professional provider, outpatient hospital, and urgent care fee schedules accordingly.
MPC_030620-1N-35-ART