Which types of personnel can perform services that are eligible for incident-to billing?

Incident-to billing allows certain services provided by non-physician practitioners (NPPs), such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, to be billed under the physician's National Provider Identifier (NPI). This type of billing is designed to recognize the collaborative nature of healthcare delivery, where services are often provided by a team that includes both physicians and midlevel providers.

For a service to qualify for incident-to billing, there are specific requirements that must be met. These include the stipulation that the NPP must work closely with the supervising physician and that the initial service must have been performed by the physician. The intention is to ensure a continuity of care and supervision, integrating the contributions of midlevel providers into the patient’s care plan.

The eligibility for incident-to billing extends beyond physicians, thus making midlevel providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, suitable candidates to perform these services. This enables practices to utilize their NPPs more efficiently, allowing for greater access to care while still ensuring appropriate oversight by a physician. However, options that suggest only physicians or only nurse practitioners are able to perform these services do not capture the full range of healthcare personnel eligible for incident-to billing. Furthermore, stating that any staff member in the office could perform these services