Second Edition in preparation
Medicare Incident-To Billing for Mental Health Counselors
Elizabeth M. Teklinski, PhD, LPC, NCC, NPT-C, and Andrew H. Teklinski, MD, FACC, CCDS
Build the idea. Understand the work.
A counselor, physician, supervisor and practice manager may look at the same care problem and see different pieces. The new Medicare book is being developed to help them see the whole proposal: what a person needs, who could help, how the team would work and what must support that work.
Begin with a person, not a code
Imagine a person leaving a medical visit with a plan they want to follow, but worries they have not found words for. A mental health professional could help explore those concerns within an agreed role. The team still needs to decide how the person is introduced, what happens next and how medical questions return to the treating clinician. This fictional starting point gives the planning work a purpose.
The learning path
01
See the care model
Understand what connected care could look like and how it differs from simply handing someone a referral.
02
Define the people and work
Describe each person’s responsibilities, the patient’s choices, supervision or consultation needs and the handoffs between visits.
03
Compare the support arrangements
Separate professional authority, setting, payer requirements and payment routes. Incident-to is one arrangement to examine, alongside other approaches discussed in the manuscript.
04
Prepare a realistic first plan
Look at available time, costs, dependencies and unanswered questions. Decide what the team should learn before considering a pilot.
A book for several seats at the table
The clinician or supervisor
Explore possible roles and prepare a clearer conversation about work, learning and supervision.
The physician or care-team leader
Move from “we should integrate care” to a specific service idea with named responsibilities.
The owner, biller or educator
Understand the proposed work before assessing capacity, payment requirements or a learning placement. A shared picture makes disagreements easier to identify.
Tools that turn reading into work
The resource or offer will state which materials are included. If you already own a Center resource, check its edition and original offer or contact resource support.
Where the edition stands
Second Edition in preparation. The Second Edition is being written and reviewed. The final contents, formats, and included files will be stated before sale.
Try the approach before the book arrives.
Use the fictional example and six prompts to explore a service idea of your own. You do not need to choose a billing arrangement to begin.