Generate tobacco treatment revenue
with minimal physician time.
Physicians identify patients with a tobacco use disorder diagnosis (F17.x) and initiate a care plan by signing a new standing-order QPM workflow that connects patients with certified tobacco treatment specialists, documents counseling, and routes billing-support information for physician review.
Tobacco cessation is billed in fewer than 2% of encounters where it would be appropriate.
A 2025 multi-institutional study found that this revenue opportunity goes uncaptured in the vast majority of eligible encounters — representing a significant untapped opportunity for practices that automate the pathway.
Anselm E. et al “A Multi-Institutional Evaluation of Billing for Tobacco-Cessation Services: Opportunities to Improve Quality and Enhance Revenue Capture.” AJPM Focus.
2023 Final Rule — general supervision
The 2023 Final Rule amended the "incident to" regulations to allow (subject to state licensing requirements) behavioral health services to be furnished by certified tobacco treatment specialists (CTTS) under general supervision rather than direct supervision - opening a clear, auditable billing pathway.
Physicians sign a standing order to enroll patients in QPM and review CTTS notes prior to billing. QPM manages everything in between.
EHR integration
QPM interfaces with AthenaOne, Epic and many other EHRs. Tobacco use status is read from the patient record at each encounter.
Automatic enrollment
Your standing order triggers automatic enrollment for eligible patients with an F17.x tobacco use disorder diagnosis.
Opt-out
Patients are enrolled automatically under the assumption of presumed consent. Less than 1% opt out. The program reaches virtually your entire tobacco-using panel without any staff outreach.
CTTS counseling sessions
Patients receive email, text messages and automated phone calls that provide motivational messaging and an invitation to schedule an appointment with a Tobacco Treatment Specialist.
1-year follow-up
QPM maintains contact with each patient post-enrollment — tracking cessation status, supporting relapse prevention, and generating up to 8 additional billable sessions across two quit attempts per year.
Outcomes back to the chart
Cessation status, session notes, and medication use are written back to the patient's chart automatically — maintaining a complete clinical record and supporting quality reporting.
CMS allows you to bill for two patient quit attempts per year with four counseling sessions in each. QPM manages the session cadence automatically, enabling you to capture the full billable allowance for each patient without any manual tracking.
The relevant CPT codes, rates, and the pathway.
CMS has established clear billing codes for tobacco cessation counseling. QPM generates the documentation for each session automatically and routes it for billing under your NPI. If the CTTS who provides the service is appropriately licensed, psychotherapy can be billed for.
| CPT Code | Description | Duration | Est. Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99406 | Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit — intermediate complexity, general supervision General Supervision |
3–10 min | ~$15 |
| 99407 | Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit — intensive complexity, general supervision General Supervision |
>10 min | ~$30 |
| 90832 | Individual psychotherapy counseling to treat behavioral health issues, general supervision — applicable when CTTS is appropriately licensed If CTTS Licensed |
>16 min <37 min | ~$85 |
Rates are approximate national Medicare averages. Actual rates vary by payer, geography, and contract. Commercial payers typically reimburse at higher rates than Medicare. QPM can provide localized rate estimates for your area.
Under CMS general supervision rules, the physician does not need to be present during the cessation counseling session. The physician must review and sign off on the Tobacco Treatment Specialist's service report — delivering sessions independently while billing flows under the physician's NPI. This is the same framework used for many behavioral health ancillary services.
QPM is designed around the CMS billing rules. For surgical patients referred by your practice, QPM initiates the cessation program on a different encounter date — ensuring compliance with CMS billing requirements at every step.
Model revenue under your payer mix.
We'll build a practice-specific revenue model based on your physician count, panel size, and payer mix — and walk through the setup pathway, EHR integration, and CTTS contracting process.
- Practice-specific revenue model using your volume and payer mix
- CMS billing pathway walkthrough — CPT codes, documentation, general supervision rules
- EHR integration options for your platform
- Tobacco Treatment Specialist contracting and supervision setup
- Go-live timeline — most practices are live within 4–6 weeks
Contact: sales@telask.com