Medicare Claims Processing Manual (Pub. 100-04), Ch. 15 § 20.1.6
Contractor Determination of Fee Schedule Amounts
20.1.6 - Contractor Determination of Fee Schedule Amounts
(Rev. 1696; Issued: 03-06-09; Effective/Implementation Date: 04-06-09)
The FS amount is determined by the FS locality, based on the POP of the ZIP Code. Use the ZIP
Code of the POP to electronically crosswalk to the appropriate FS amount. All ZIP Codes on the
ZIP Code file are urban unless identified as rural by the letter “R” or the letter “B.” Contractors
determine the FS amount as follows:
•
If an urban ZIP Code is reported with a ground or air HCPCS code, the contractors
determine the amount for the service by using the FS amount for the urban base rate. To
determine the amount for mileage, multiply the number of reported miles by the urban
mileage rate.
• If a rural ZIP Code is reported with a ground HCPCS code, the contractor determines the
amount for the service by using the FS amount for the rural base rate. To determine the
amount for mileage, contractors must use the following formula:
o
For services furnished on or after July 1, 2004, for rural miles 1-17, the rate
equals 1.5 times the rural ground mileage rate per mile. Therefore, multiply 1.5
times the rural mileage rate amount on the FS to derive the appropriate FS rate per
mile;
o
For services furnished during the period July 1, 2004 through December 31, 2008,
for all ground miles greater than 50 (i.e., miles 51+), the FS rate equals 1.25 times
the applicable mileage rate (urban or rural). Therefore, multiply 1.25 times the
urban or rural, as appropriate, mileage rate amount on the FS to derive the
appropriate FS rate per mile.
If a rural ZIP Code is reported with an air HCPCS code, the contractor determines the FS
amount for the service by using the FS amount for rural air base rate. To determine the
amount allowable for the mileage, multiply the number of loaded miles by the rural air
mileage rate.