Good morning all
I am a vocational case manager in Ohio contacting with Ohio Bureau of Workers' Comp. Every March, BWC Policy posts the proposed fee scheduled changes for comment. I submitted my comments. Providers in Ohio bill at 6 minute increments. Ohio BWC has this rule providers are unable to bill for anything less than 3.1 minutes. In other words, if we make a phone call and leave a message, "technically" we cannot bill for it. I am including a copy of their response but in summary, they are saying these are national billing standards. Has anyone heard of this? If so, can someone point me to where I would find this information? Thank you.
Dear Ms. Frailey,
Thank you for taking the time to provide detailed feedback on several aspects of the proposed 2026 vocational rehabilitation fee schedule. We appreciate your engagement in the review process and the perspective you bring as a vocational service provider. Below is BWC's response to each of the issues you raised.
Billing for the First Three Minutes of Service
BWC has reviewed your concerns regarding time tracking and the inability to bill for the first three minutes of service. BWC follows national billings standards for time-based service codes billing.
We do not support modifying the current billing structure. National billing standards require that a unit of service be substantially provided before it is eligible for reimbursement. In vocational rehabilitation cases, that means at least 3.1 minutes of service for a 6-minute unit of service must be performed before the service is billed. This is not just for vocational rehabilitation service, but any provider service that is time based. Our current approach ensures consistency across all provider types. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon vocational professionals to adopt time‑recording practices that allow for accurate documentation without diminishing the quality of interactions with injured workers.
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Laura Frailey MRC, CRC, CVE, IPEC
Core Vocational Services
FraileyCRC@gmail.com419-350-0711
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