Due to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the CQ and CO modifiers to be appended to CPT codes on the claim form when those services are provided in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant (PTA) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA), respectively. This requirements began in calendar year 2020 and for calendar years 2020 and 2021, the application of these modifiers to CPT codes on the claim form have no financial implication on the payment for outpatient therapy services. Beginning for dates of service on and after January

Effective with dates of service beginning on and after January 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will require 2 new modifiers be appended to CPT codes on the claim form when those services are provided “in whole” or “in part” by a physical therapist assistant (PTA) or an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). To make matters worse, beginning with dates of service on and after January 1, 2022, services that contain one of the two modifiers appended to them on the claim form will be paid at 85% of the normal rate of the Medicare allowed amount