New York and New Jersey – 2004 Medicare Travel Allowance Fees for Collection of Specimens

Medicare Part B covers a specimen collection fee and travel allowance for a laboratory technician to draw a specimen from either a nursing home patient or homebound patient. There are two codes: P9603 for a per mile trip basis or code P9604 for a flat rate trip basis where the average round trip is generally less than 20 miles (or an average of 10 miles per leg of the trip). To bill either code requires documentation of the number of specimens performed per trip (for both Medicare and non-Medicare patients) to compute the Medicare prorated fee.