Alicia R. Ruelaz, MD
Los Angeles
Dr Ruelaz is a faculty psychiatrist of the consultation-liaison division in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Insurance
Compensation: 15-Versus
30-Minute Blocks
I would like to thank Dr Jay Pomerantz
for his comments ("From Our Readers," Psychiatric Times, November 2006, page 80) on the limitations of allotting
15 minutes for a medication management
session. I would, however, like to
comment that most insurance companies
do not pay much more for a psychiatric
procedure code 90805 charge
than for a 90862 charge, so even if you
receive the authorization for the former,
it does not compensate you commensurately
for the additional time spent,
which is why many psychiatrists stick
with the 15-minute format. I have made
the decision to schedule in 30-minute
blocks and accept the reduced income,
but
it is a significant reduction and I can
readily understand how others might
proceed differently.
Robert Murdock, MD
Dr Murdock is in private practice.
