There may be subtests, or parts of a battery of tests, that may be appropriately furnished by an
educated and experienced technician using a specific protocol under the direction of a
supervising physician. These services are identified by local contractor determination as
services that do not require professional skills. They may be furnished by a qualified technician
under the direct supervision of a physician, but not under the supervision of an audiologist or an
NPP. The supervising physician is responsible for rendering and documenting all clinical
judgment and for the appropriate provision of the service by the technician.
A technician may not perform any part of a service that requires professional skills. A
technician also may not perform a global service. For example, a technician may not interpret
test results or engage in clinical decision-making.
c. Professional Component (PC)/Technical Component (TC) Split Codes.
The PC of a PC/TC split code may be billed by the audiologist, physician, or NPP who
personally furnishes the service. (Note this is also true in the facility setting.) A
physician or NPP may bill for the PC when the physician or NPP furnish the PC and an
(unsupervised) audiologist furnishes and bills for the TC. The PC may not be billed if a
technician furnishes the service. A physician or NPP may not bill for a PC service
furnished by an audiologist.
The TC of a PC/TC split code may be billed by the audiologist, physician, or NPP who
personally furnishes the service. Physicians may bill the TC for services furnished by
technicians when the technician furnishes the service under the direct supervision of that
physician. Audiologists and NPPs may not bill for the TC of the service when a
technician furnishes the service, even if the technician is supervised by the NPP or
audiologist.
The “global” service is billed when both the PC and TC of a service are personally
furnished by the same audiologist, physician, or NPP. The global service may also be
billed by a physician, but not an audiologist or NPP, when a technician furnishes the TC
of the service under direct physician supervision and that physician furnishes the PC,
including the interpretation and report.
