Workers' Compensation Rules
of the N.C. Industrial Commission


ARTICLE IV. DISABILITY, COMPENSATION, FEES

Rule 407
Fees for Medical Compensation (Effective January 1, 2013)

(a) The Commission has adopted and published a Medical Fee Schedule, pursuant to the provisions of G.S. §97-26(a), setting maximum amounts, except for hospital fees pursuant to G.S. §97-26(b), that may be paid for medical, surgical, nursing, dental, and rehabilitative services, and medicines, sick travel, and other treatment, including medical and surgical supplies, original artificial members as may reasonably be necessary at the end of the healing period and the replacement of such artificial members when reasonably necessitated by ordinary use or medical circumstances. The amounts prescribed in the applicable published Fee Schedule shall govern and apply according to G.S. §97-26(c).

(b) The Commission's Medical Fee Schedule contains maximum allowed amounts for medical services provided pursuant to Chapter 97 of the General Statutes. The Medical Fee Schedule utilizes 1995 through the present, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes adopted by the American Medical Association, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding Systems (HCPCS) codes, and jurisdiction-specific codes. A listing of the maximum allowable amount for each code is available on the Commission's website at http://www.ic.nc.gov/ncic/pages/feesched.asp and in hardcopy at 430 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.

(c) The following methodology provides the basis for the Commission's Medical Fee Schedule:

  1. CPT codes for General Medicine are based on 1995 North Carolina Medicare values multiplied by 1.58, except for CPT codes 99201-99205 and 99211-99215, which are based on 1995 Medicare values multiplied by 2.05.

  2. CPT codes for Physical Medicine are based on 1995 North Carolina Medicare values multiplied by 1.36.

  3. CPT codes for Radiology are based on 1995 North Carolina Medicare values multiplied by 1.96.

  4. CPT codes for Surgery are based on 1995 North Carolina Medicare values multiplied by 2.06.

(d) The Commission's Hospital Fee Schedule, adopted pursuant to G.S. §97-26(b), provides for payment as follows:

  1. Inpatient hospital fees: Inpatient services are reimbursed based on a Diagnostic Related Groupings (DRG) methodology. The Hospital Fee Schedule utilizes the 2001 Diagnostic Related Groupings adopted by the State Health Plan. Each DRG amount is based on the amount that the State Health Plan had in effect for the same DRG on June 30, 2001.

  2. DRG amounts are further subject to the following payment band that establishes maximum and minimum payment amounts:

    1. The maximum payment is 100 percent of the hospital's itemized charges.

    2. For hospitals other than critical access hospitals, the minimum payment is 75 percent of the hospital's itemized charges. Effective February 1, 2013, the minimum payment rate is the amount provided for under Subparagraph (5) below, subject to adjustment on April 1, 2013 as provided therein.

    3. For critical access hospitals, the minimum payment is 77.07 percent of the hospital's itemized charges. Effective February 1, 2013, the minimum payment rate is the amount provided for under Subparagraph (5) below, subject to adjustment on April 1, 2013 as provided therein.

  3. Outpatient hospital fees: Outpatient services are reimbursed based on the hospital's actual charges as billed on the UB-04 claim form, subject to the following percentage discounts:

    1. For hospitals other than critical access hospitals, the payment shall be 79 percent of the hospital's billed charges. Effective February 1, 2013, the payment is the amount provided for under Subparagraph (5) below, subject to adjustment on April 1, 2013 as provided therein.

    2. For critical access hospitals, the payment shall be 87 percent of the hospital's billed charges. For purposes of the hospital fee schedule, critical access hospitals are those hospitals designated as such pursuant to federal law (42 CFR 485.601 et seq.). Effective February 1, 2013, the critical access hospital's payment is the amount provided for under Subparagraph (5) below, subject to adjustment on April 1, 2013 as provided therein.

  4. Ambulatory surgery fees: Ambulatory surgery center services are reimbursed at 79 percent of billed charges. Effective February 1, 2013, the ambulatory surgery center services are reimbursed at the amount provided for under Subparagraph (5) below, subject to adjustment on April 1, 2013 as provided therein.

  5. Other rates: If a provider has agreed under contract with the insurer or managed care organization to accept a different amount or reimbursement methodology, that amount or methodology establishes the applicable fee.

  6. Payment levels frozen and reduced pending study of new fee schedule: Effective February 1, 2013, inpatient and outpatient payments for each hospital and the payments for each ambulatory surgery center shall be set at the payment rates in effect for those facilities as of June 30, 2012. Effective April 1, 2013, those rates shall then be reduced as follows:

    1. Hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery: The rate in effect as of that date shall be reduced by 15 percent.

    2. Hospital inpatient: The minimum payment rate in effect as of that date shall be reduced by 10 percent.

  7. Effective April 1, 2013, implants shall be paid at no greater than invoice cost plus 28 percent.

(e) A provider of medical compensation shall submit its statement for services within 75 days of the rendition of the service, or if treatment is longer, within 30 days after the end of the month during which multiple treatments were provided. However, in cases where liability is initially denied but subsequently admitted or determined by the Commission, the time for submission of medical bills shall run from the time the health care provider received notice of the admission or determination of liability. Within 30 days of receipt of the statement, the employer, carrier, or managed care organization, or administrator on its behalf, shall pay or submit the statement to the Commission for approval or send the provider written objections to the statement. If an employer, carrier, administrator, or managed care organization disputes a portion of the provider's bill, the employer, carrier, administrator, or managed care organization, shall pay the uncontested portion of the bill and shall resolve disputes regarding the balance of the charges through its contractual arrangement or through the Commission.

(f) Pursuant to G.S. §97-18(i), when the 10 percent addition to the bill is uncontested, payment shall be made to the provider without notifying or seeking approval from the Commission. When the 10 percent addition to the bill is contested, any party may request a hearing by the Commission pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §97-83, and N.C. Gen. Stat. §97-84.

(g) When the responsible party seeks an audit of hospital charges, and has paid the hospital charges in full, the payee hospital, upon request, shall provide reasonable access and copies of appropriate records, without charge or fee, to the person(s) chosen by the payor to review and audit the records.

(h) The responsible employer, carrier, managed care organization, or administrator shall pay the statements of medical compensation providers to whom the employee has been referred by the treating physician authorized by the insurance carrier for the compensable injury or body part, unless the physician has been requested to obtain authorization for referrals or tests; provided that compliance with the request shall not unreasonably delay the treatment or service to be rendered to the employee.

(i) Employees are entitled to reimbursement for sick travel when the travel is medically necessary and the mileage is 20 or more miles, round trip, at the business standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service per mile of travel and the actual cost of tolls paid. Employees are entitled to lodging and meal expenses, at a rate to be established for state employees by the North Carolina Director of Budget, when it is medically necessary that the employee stay overnight at a location away from the employee's usual place of residence. Employees are entitled to reimbursement for the costs of parking or a vehicle for hire, when the costs are medically necessary, at the actual costs of the expenses.

(j) Any employer, carrier or administrator denying a claim in which medical care has previously been authorized is responsible for all costs incurred prior to the date notice of denial is provided to each health care provider to whom authorization has been previously given.


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