2008 ABC Coding Manual - Index of

IV
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can use ABC codes?
Anyone can use ABC codes for research, practice management and manual billing (paper claims). These uses of code
sets are unregulated and fall outside of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). ABC codes are
mapped to federally mandated HIPAA code sets used in electronic claims processing.
Will other areas of healthcare be addressed by ABC codes?
Yes. ABC codes will soon reflect additional types of care delivered by dental hygienists, occupational therapists,
pharmacists and others.
Why are practitioner modifiers important?
Practitioner modifiers help identify who delivered care and, used in conjunction with ABC codes and legal practice
guidelines, establish whether caregivers are legally authorized and properly trained to deliver a specific intervention.
Proprietary Codes
Many manufacturers believe that their product(s) and/or service(s) offer unique value and want to distinguish these
products with a proprietary versus a generic ABC code. Proprietary ABC codes are therefore designed to describe
proprietary products (i.e., patented formulas sold in bottles) or services that incorporate the use of a company’s
proprietary device(s).
These ABC codes support research and outcomes for a product’s and/or service’s effectiveness. Unlike other
organizations that charge membership dues to provide coding for proprietary products, ABC Coding Solutions-
Alternative Link charges per-code fees to develop proprietary ABC codes.
For more information regarding proprietary ABC codes, terminology development and associated fees, please contact
Marketing@ABCcodes.com, or call 505-875-0001 x224.
Relative Value Units (RVUs)
RVUs establish the financial value of coded healthcare services, remedies and/or supplies. RVUs are developed by
Relative Value Studies, Inc. (RVSI), based on practitioner surveys.
RVUs can be used to support contracting and fee schedule development for integrative healthcare across the nation, just
as the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) supports these business processes for conventional healthcare.
Relative Values for Integrative Healthcare Using ABC Codes contains both RVUs and corresponding RBRVS values for
services commonly provided by nurses and other integrative healthcare practitioners. The RBRVS values are derived
from proprietary RVSI methodologies and from the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale that is used by the federal
government and many private third party payers in establishing payment levels for conventional healthcare.
To learn more about relative values or to purchase Relative Values for Integrative Healthcare Using ABC Codes, please
contact:
Relative Value Studies, Inc.
370 Interlocken Blvd., Suite 400
Broomfiled, CO 80021 USA
Telephone: (866) 310-7874
Fax: (734) 939-6257
Web site: www.rvsdata.com
286 2008 ABC Coding Manual for Integrative Healthcare