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Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Intravenous Immune Globulin (L27259)
Contractor Information
Contractor Name CGS Administrators, LLC
Contractor Number 18003
Contractor Type DME MAC
Jurisdiction J - G
LCD Information
Document Information
LCD ID Number L27259
LCD Title Intravenous Immune Globulin
Contractor's Determination Number IVIG
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Oversight Region Region IV
DME Region LCD Covers Jurisdiction C
Original Determination Effective Date
For services performed on or after 04/01/2008 Original Determination Ending Date
Revision Effective Date
For services performed on or after 01/01/2012
Revision Ending Date
CMS National Coverage Policy
Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity
For any item to be covered by Medicare, it must 1) be eligible for a defined Medicare benefit category, 2) be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member, and 3) meet all other applicable Medicare statutory and regulatory requirements. For the items addressed in this local coverage determination, the criteria for "reasonable and necessary", based on Social Security Act §1862(a)(1)(A) provisions, are defined by the following indications and limitations of coverage and/or medical necessity.
For an item to be covered by Medicare, a detailed written order (DWO) must be received by the supplier before a claim is submitted. If the supplier bills for an item addressed in this policy without first receiving the completed DWO, the item will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
The statutory coverage criteria for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) addressed in this policy are specified in the related Policy Article.
If the IVIG is administered using an infusion pump, the infusion pump and related administration supplies are denied as not reasonable and necessary because they do not meet the coverage criteria specified in the External Infusion Pumps Local Coverage Determination (LCD).
If the coverage criteria for IVIG specified in the related Policy Article (PA) are not met and the IVIG is administered with an infusion pump, the IVIG will be denied as not reasonable and necessary (because the pump is denied as not reasonable and necessary).
Drugs may be covered only if dispensed and billed to Medicare by the entity that actually dispenses the drug to the Medicare beneficiary, and that entity must be permitted under all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations to dispense drugs. Only entities licensed in the state where they are physically located may bill for IVIG. Claims submitted by entities not licensed to dispense drugs will be denied for as not reasonable and necessity.
Refer to the External Infusion Pumps LCD for information concerning coverage of subcutaneous immune globulin.
REFILL REQUIREMENTS
For DMEPOS items and supplies provided on a recurring basis, billing must be based on prospective, not retrospective use. For DMEPOS products that are supplied as refills to the original order, suppliers must contact the beneficiary prior to dispensing the refill and not automatically ship on a pre-determined basis, even if authorized by the beneficiary. This shall be done to ensure that the refilled item remains reasonable and necessary, existing supplies are approaching exhaustion, and to confirm any changes or modifications to the order. Contact with the beneficiary or designee regarding refills must take place no sooner than 14 calendar days prior to the delivery/shipping date. For delivery of refills, the supplier must deliver the DMEPOS product no sooner than 10 calendar days prior to the end of usage for the current product. This is regardless of which delivery method is utilized. (CMS Program Integrity Manual, Internet-Only Manual, CMS Pub. 100-8, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.6).
For all DMEPOS items that are provided on a recurring basis, suppliers are required to have contact with the beneficiary or caregiver/designee prior to dispensing a new supply of items. Suppliers must not deliver refills without a refill request from a beneficiary. Items delivered without a valid, documented refill request will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
Suppliers must not dispense a quantity of supplies exceeding a beneficiary's expected utilization. Suppliers must stay attuned to changed or atypical utilization patterns on the part of their clients. Suppliers must verify with the ordering physicians that any changed or atypical utilization is warranted. Regardless of utilization, a supplier must not dispense more than a 1-month quantity at a time.
Coding Information
Bill Type Codes:
Contractors may specify Bill Types to help providers identify those Bill Types typically used to report this service. Absence of a Bill Type does not guarantee that the policy does not apply to that Bill Type. Complete absence of all Bill Types indicates that coverage is not influenced by Bill Type and the policy should be assumed to apply equally to all claims.
Revenue Codes:
Contractors may specify Revenue Codes to help providers identify those Revenue Codes typically used to report this service. In most instances Revenue Codes are purely advisory; unless specified in the policy services reported under other Revenue Codes are equally subject to this coverage determination. Complete absence of all Revenue Codes indicates that coverage is not influenced by Revenue Code and the policy should be assumed to apply equally to all Revenue Codes.
CPT/HCPCS Codes
HCPCS MODIFIERS:
EY - No physician or other licensed health care provider order for this item or service
HCPCS CODES:
A4223 INFUSION SUPPLIES NOT USED WITH EXTERNAL INFUSION PUMP, PER CASSETTE OR BAG (LIST DRUGS SEPARATELY)
J1459 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN (PRIVIGEN), INTRAVENOUS, NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG
J1557 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, (GAMMAPLEX), INTRAVENOUS, NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG
J1561 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, (GAMUNEX-C/GAMMAKED), NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG
J1566 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, INTRAVENOUS, LYOPHILIZED (E.G. POWDER), NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, 500 MG
J1568 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, (OCTAGAM), INTRAVENOUS, NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG J1569 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, (GAMMAGARD LIQUID), NON-LYOPHILIZED, (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG
J1572 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, (FLEBOGAMMA/FLEBOGAMMA DIF), INTRAVENOUS, NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), 500 MG
J1573 INJECTION, HEPATITIS B IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HEPAGAM B), INTRAVENOUS, 0.5 ML
J1599 INJECTION, IMMUNE GLOBULIN, INTRAVENOUS, NON-LYOPHILIZED (E.G. LIQUID), NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, 500 MG
J2791 INJECTION, RHO(D) IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN), (RHOPHYLAC), INTRAMUSCULAR OR INTRAVENOUS, 100 IU
ICD-9 Codes that Support Medical Necessity Not specified.
For ICD-9 codes relating to statutory coverage, see Policy Article
AsteriskNoteText
Diagnoses that Support Medical Necessity
ICD-9 Codes that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity
ICD-9 Codes that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity Asterisk Explanation
Diagnoses that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity
General Information
Documentations Requirements
Section 1833(e) of the Social Security Act precludes payment to any provider of services unless "there has been furnished such information as may be necessary in order to determine the amounts due such provider.” It is expected that the beneficiary's medical records will reflect the need for the care provided. The beneficiary's medical records include the physician's office records, hospital records, nursing home records, home health agency records, records from other healthcare professionals and test reports. This documentation must be available upon request.
PRESCRIPTION (ORDER) REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL (PIM 5.2.1)
All items billed to Medicare require a prescription. An order for each item billed must be signed and dated by the treating physician, kept on file by the supplier, and made available upon request. Items dispensed and/or billed that do not meet these prescription requirements and those below must be submitted with an EY modifier added to each affected HCPCS code.
DISPENSING ORDERS (PIM 5.2.2)
Equipment and supplies may be delivered upon receipt of a dispensing order except for those items that require a written order prior to delivery. A dispensing order may be verbal or written. The supplier must keep a record of the dispensing order on file. It must contain:
• Description of the item
• Beneficiary's name
• Prescribing Physician's name
• Date of the order and the start date, if the start date is different from the date of the order
• Physician signature (if a written order) or supplier signature (if verbal order)
For the “Date of the order” described above, use the date the supplier is contacted by the physician (for verbal orders) or the date entered by the physician (for written dispensing orders).
Signature and date stamps are not allowed. Signatures must comply with the CMS signature requirements outlined in PIM 3.3.2.4.
The dispensing order must be available upon request.
For items that are provided based on a dispensing order, the supplier must obtain a detailed written order before submitting a claim.
DETAILED WRITTEN ORDERS (PIM 5.2.3)
A detailed written order (DWO) is required before billing. Someone other than the ordering physician may produce the DWO. However, the ordering physician must review the content and sign and date the document. It must contain:
• Beneficiary's name
• Physician's name
• Date of the order and the start date, if start date is different from the date of the order
• Detailed description of the item(s) (see below for specific requirements for selected items)
• Physician signature and signature date
For items provided on a periodic basis, including drugs, the written order must include:
• Item(s) to be dispensed
• Dosage or concentration, if applicable
• Route of Administration
• Frequency of use
• Duration of infusion, if applicable
• Quantity to be dispensed
• Number of refills
For the “Date of the order” described above, use the date the supplier is contacted by the physician (for verbal orders) or the date entered by the physician (for written dispensing orders).
Frequency of use information on orders must contain detailed instructions for use and specific amounts to be dispensed. Reimbursement shall be based on the specific utilization amount only. Orders that only state “PRN” or “as needed” utilization estimates for replacement frequency, use, or consumption are not acceptable. (PIM 5.9)
The detailed description in the written order may be either a narrative description or a brand name/model number.
Signature and date stamps are not allowed. Signatures must comply with the CMS signature requirements outlined in PIM 3.3.2.4.
The DWO must be available upon request.
A prescription is not considered as part of the medical record. Medical information intended to demonstrate compliance with coverage criteria may be included on the prescription but must be corroborated by information contained in the medical record. (PIM 5.2.3)
MEDICAL RECORD INFORMATION
GENERAL (PIM 5.7 -5.9)
The Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity section of this LCD contains numerous reasonable and necessary (R&N) requirements. The Nonmedical Necessity Coverage and Payment Rules section of the related Policy Article contains numerous non-reasonable and necessary, benefit category and statutory requirements that must be met in order for payment to be justified. Suppliers are reminded that:
• Supplier-produced records, even if signed by the ordering physician, and attestation letters (e.g. letters of medical necessity) are deemed not to be part of a medical record for Medicare payment purposes.
• Templates and forms, including CMS Certificates of Medical Necessity, are subject to corroboration with information in the medical record.
Information contained directly in the contemporaneous medical record is the source required to justify payment except as noted elsewhere for prescriptions and CMNs. The medical record is not limited to physician’s office records but may include records from hospitals, nursing facilities, home health agencies, other healthcare professionals, etc. (not all-inclusive). Records from suppliers or healthcare professionals with a financial interest in the claim outcome are not considered sufficient by themselves for the purpose of determining that an item is reasonable and necessary.
CONTINUED USE
Continued use describes the ongoing utilization of supplies or a rental item by a beneficiary.
Suppliers are responsible for monitoring utilization of DMEPOS rental items and supplies. No monitoring of purchased items or capped rental items that have converted to a purchase is required. Suppliers must discontinue billing Medicare when rental items or ongoing supply items are no longer being used by the beneficiary.
Beneficiary medical records or supplier records may be used to confirm that a DMEPOS item continues to be used by the beneficiary. Any of the following may serve as documentation that an item submitted for reimbursement continues to be used by the beneficiary:
1. Timely documentation in the beneficiary's medical record showing usage of the item, related option/accessories and supplies.
2. Supplier records documenting the request for refill/replacement of supplies in compliance with the Refill Documentation Requirements This is deemed to be sufficient to document continued use for the base item, as well.
3. Supplier records documenting beneficiary confirmation of continued use of a rental item
Timely documentation is defined as a record in the preceding 12 months unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this policy.
CONTINUED MEDICAL NEED
For all DMEPOS items, the initial justification for medical need is established at the time the item(s) is first ordered; therefore, beneficiary medical records demonstrating that the item is reasonable and necessary are created just prior to, or at the time of, the creation of the initial prescription. For purchased items, initial months of a rental item or for initial months of ongoing supplies or drugs, information justifying reimbursement will come from this initial time period. Entries in the beneficiary’s medical record must have been created prior to, or at the time of, the initial DOS to establish whether the initial reimbursement was justified based upon the applicable coverage policy.
For ongoing supplies and rental DME items, in addition to information described above that justifies the initial provision of the item(s) and/or supplies, there must be information in the beneficiary’s medical record to support that the item continues to be used by the beneficiary and remains reasonable and necessary. Information used to justify continued medical need must be timely for the DOS under review. Any of the following may serve as documentation justifying continued medical need:
A recent order by the treating physician for refills A recent change in prescription
A properly completed CMN or DIF with an appropriate length of need specified
Timely documentation in the beneficiary's medical record showing usage of the item.
Timely documentation is defined as a record in the preceding 12 months unless otherwise specified elsewhere in the policy.
REFILL DOCUMENTATION (PIM 5.2.5-6)
A routine refill prescription is not needed. A new prescription is needed when:
• There is a change of supplier
• There is a change in the item(s), frequency of use, or amount prescribed
• There is a change in the length of need or a previously established length of need expires
• State law requires a prescription renewal
For items that the beneficiary obtains in-person at a retail store, the signed delivery slip or a copy of the itemized sales receipt is sufficient documentation of a request for refill.
For items that are delivered to the beneficiary, documentation of a request for refill must be either a written document received from the beneficiary or a contemporaneous written record of a phone conversation/contact between the supplier and beneficiary. The refill request must occur and be documented before shipment. A retrospective attestation statement by the supplier or beneficiary is not sufficient. The refill record must include:
• Beneficiary's name or authorized representative if different than the beneficiary
• A description of each item that is being requested
• Date of refill request
• Information documenting that the beneficiary's remaining supply is approaching exhaustion by the expected delivery date
PROOF OF DELIVERY (PIM 4.26, 5.8)
Proof of delivery (POD) is a Supplier Standard and DMEPOS suppliers are required to maintain POD documentation in their files. For medical review purposes, POD serves to assist in determining correct coding and billing information for claims submitted for Medicare reimbursement. Regardless of the method of delivery, the contractor must be able to determine from delivery documentation that the supplier properly coded the item(s), that the item(s) delivered are the same item(s) submitted for Medicare reimbursement and that the item(s) are intended for, and received by, a specific Medicare beneficiary.
Suppliers, their employees, or anyone else having a financial interest in the delivery of the item are prohibited from signing and accepting an item on behalf of a beneficiary (i.e., acting as a designee on behalf of the beneficiary). The signature and date the beneficiary or designee accepted delivery must be legible.
For the purpose of the delivery methods noted below, designee is defined as “Any person who can sign and accept the delivery of durable medical equipment on behalf of the beneficiary.”
Proof of delivery documentation must be available to the Medicare contractor on request. All services that do not have appropriate proof of delivery from the supplier will be denied and overpayments will be requested. Suppliers who consistently fail to provide documentation to support their services may be referred to the OIG for imposition of Civil Monetary Penalties or other administrative sanctions.
Suppliers are required to maintain POD documentation in their files. There are three methods of delivery:
1. Delivery directly to the beneficiary or authorized representative
2. Delivery via shipping or delivery service
3. Delivery of items to a nursing facility on behalf of the beneficiary
Method 1—Direct Delivery to the Beneficiary by the Supplier
Suppliers may deliver directly to the beneficiary or the designee. In this case, POD to a beneficiary must be a signed and dated delivery slip. The POD record must include:
• Beneficiary's name
• Delivery address
• Sufficiently detailed description to identify the item(s) being delivered (e.g., brand name, serial number, narrative description)
• Quantity delivered
• Date delivered
• Beneficiary (or designee) signature and date of signature
The date of signature on the delivery slip must be the date that the DMEPOS item was received by the beneficiary or designee. In instances where the supplies are delivered directly by the supplier, the date the beneficiary received the DMEPOS supply must be the date of service on the claim.
Method 2—Delivery via Shipping or Delivery Service Directly to a Beneficiary
If the supplier utilizes a shipping service or mail order, the POD documentation must be a complete record tracking the item(s) from the DMEPOS supplier to the beneficiary. An example of acceptable proof of delivery would include both the supplier's own detailed shipping invoice and the delivery service's tracking information. The supplier's record must be linked to the delivery service record by some clear method like the delivery service's package identification number or supplier's invoice number for the package sent to the beneficiary. The POD record must include:
• Beneficiary's name
• Delivery address
• Delivery service's package identification number, supplier invoice number or alternative method that links the supplier's delivery documents with the delivery service's records.
• Sufficiently detailed description to identify the item(s) being delivered (e.g., brand name, serial number, narrative description)
• Quantity delivered
• Date delivered
• Evidence of delivery
If a supplier utilizes a shipping service or mail order, suppliers must use the shipping date as the date of service on the claim.
Suppliers may also utilize a return postage-paid delivery invoice from the beneficiary or designee as a POD. This type of POD record must contain the information specified above.
Method 3—Delivery to Nursing Facility on Behalf of a Beneficiary
When a supplier delivers items directly to a nursing facility, the documentation described for Method 1 (see above) is required.
When a delivery service or mail order is used to deliver the item to a nursing facility, the documentation described for Method 2 (see above) is required.
Regardless the method of delivery, for those beneficiaries that are residents of a nursing facility, information from the nursing facility showing that the item(s) delivered for the beneficiary’s use were actually provided to and used by the beneficiary must be available upon request.
POLICY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
The supplier must enter an ICD-9 diagnosis code corresponding to the patient's diagnosis on each claim.
When Not Otherwise Classified (NOC) drug codes J1566 or J1599 are billed for miscellaneous immunoglobulin drugs, the claim must be accompanied by a clear statement identifying the drug provided (brand or generic name, dosage strength) and the amount dispensed.
Refer to the Supplier Manual for more information on documentation requirements.
Appendices PIM citations above denote references to CMS Program Integrity Manual, Internet Only Manual 100-8.
Utilization Guidelines Refer to Indications and Limitations of coverage and/or Medical necessity
Sources of Information and Basis for Decision
Medicare IOM 100-02 Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 15 Section 50.6 Advisory Committee Meeting Notes
Start Date of Comment Period
End Date of Comment Period
Start Date of Notice Period 03/20/2008
Revision History Number 001
Revision History Explanation Revision History Effective Date: 01/01/2012 INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE AND MEDICAL NECESSITY:
Revised: Order requirement language to specify a “detailed written order” Added: Refill requirements per PIM 5.2.6 (effective 08/02/2011 per CR7452) HCPCS CODES:
Added: J1557
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:
(Note: The effective date above is not applicable to this section. These revised and added requirements are existing Medicare requirements which are now included in the LCD for easy reference)
Revised: Prescription requirements
Added: Refill requirements, general medical record information requirements, continued use and continued need requirements, and proof of delivery requirements
11/21/2011 - For the following CPT/HCPCS codes either the short description and/or the long description was changed. Depending on which description is used in this LCD, there may not be any change in how the code displays in the document:
J1561 descriptor was changed in Group 1
08/05/2011 - The Jurisdiction C contractor adopted a new business name. This LCD revision only includes the change from CIGNA Government Services to CGS Administrators, LLC. No coverage information was included in this revision and no provider action is needed regarding this revision.
Revision History Effective Date: 01/01/2011
INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE AND MEDICALNECESSITY:
Revised: Preamble
Revised: “Medical necessity” changed to “reasonable and necessary” HCPCS CODES:
Added: J1599
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:
Added: J1599
Revised: Information required for NOC codes
Revision Effective Date: 01/01/2009 HCPCS CODES:
Added J1459.
Changed code descriptor for J1572. Deleted Q4097
11/09/2008 - The description for CPT/HCPCS code J1572 was changed in group 1
11/25/2012 - For the following CPT/HCPCS codes either the short description and/or the long description was changed. Depending on which description is used in this LCD, there may not be any change in how the code displays in the document:
J1561 descriptor was changed in Group 1 J1569 descriptor was changed in Group 1
Reason for Change
Related Documents Article(s)
A46341 - Intravenous Immune Globulin - Policy Article - Effective January 2011
LCD Attachments
There are no attachments for this LCD.
All Versions
Updated on 11/25/2012 with effective dates 01/01/2012 - N/A Updated on 02/24/2012 with effective dates 01/01/2012 - N/A Updated on 11/21/2011 with effective dates 08/05/2011 - 12/31/2011 Updated on 08/04/2011 with effective dates 08/05/2011 - N/A Updated on 02/25/2011 with effective dates 01/01/2011 - 08/04/2011
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