Incident To Physician’s Professional Services

Incident to a physician’s professional services means that the services or supplies are furnished as an integral, although incidental, part of the physician’s personal professional services in the course of diagnosis or treatment of an injury or illness.

Services Commonly Furnished in Physicians’ Offices

Services and supplies commonly furnished in physicians’ offices are covered under the incident to provision. Services and supplies NOT covered under the incident to provision include:

• Services not considered medically appropriate to provide in the office setting; or
  
  
• Supplies that are clearly of a type a physician is not expected to have on hand in his or her office.

Supplies usually furnished by the physician in the course of performing his or her services, e.g., gauze, ointments, bandages, and oxygen, are also covered. Charges for such services and supplies must be included in the physicians’ bills.