MTUS indicator of CMS 1500

Methodology for Coding Number of Services, MTUS Count and MTUS Indicator Fields

The following instructions should be used as a guide for coding the number of services, MTUS Count and MTUS Indicator fields on the Part B Physician/Supplier Claim. These fields are documented in the CMS National Claims History Data Dictionary as CWFB_SRVC_CNT, CWFB_MTUS_CNT, and CWFB_MTUS_IND_CD, respectively.

Services not falling into examples B, C, E, or F should be coded as shown in example D (services/pricing units).

A. No Allowed Services – (CWFB_MTUS_IND_CD = 0)

For claims reporting no allowed services, the following example should be used to code the line item:
A total of 2 visits was reported for HCPCS code 99211: Office or other outpatient visit for the management of an established patient. Both services were denied.
Number of services: 2 (furnished)
                              MTUS (services): 0 (allowed)
                              MTUS indicator: 0

B. Ambulance Miles - (CWFB_MTUS_IND_CD = 1)

Miles, Times, Units, Services (MTUS) Indicator Field of CMS 1500

Miles/Times/Units/Services (MTUS)

Miles/Times/Units/Services (MTUS) count and MTUS indicator fields are on Part B Physician/Supplier Claims. These fields are documented in the CMS National Claims History Data Dictionary.

Standard systems are to put MTUS count and MTUS indicators on all claims at the line item level.
The purpose of the MTUS Count Field on the line item is to document additional information reflecting certain volumes related to indicators. In most cases, the value in this field will be the same as in the Service Count Field on the line item; however, for services such as anesthesia the field values will differ. In this case, the service count field will likely contain a value of 1 for the occurrence of the surgery while the MTUS Count Field will contain the actual time units that the anesthesiologist spent with the patient in 15 minute increments or a fraction thereof.