Don't cry during a stressful or painful medical procedure, unless you're willing to pay extra. One woman learned this the hard way when she went to her doctor to get a mole removed. She cried at one point during the operation, and her bill, which she posted to Twitter, showed an $11 charge for "Brief Emotion" and a billing code of CPT Code 96127.
She got off easy! According to a Mentegram article titled, "CPT Code 96127: How to Increase Revenue with This NEW Behavioral or Emotional Assessment" CPT Code 96127 "is a code that may be used to report brief behavioral or emotional assessments for reimbursement" and "may be billed four times for each patient per visit, utilizing four different instruments or assessments. So not only will clinicians have more efficient practices by utilizing these screenings, but they can also use them to build revenue." The article concludes with "Can you see how this missed income can really add up?"
