The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) mandates that all physician-administered drug claims require a National Drug Code (NDC). In order to comply with the DRA, providers must bill for these drugs using the appropriate CPT-4, HCPCS Level II or local HCPCS Level III codes and, in addition, must include the NDC on the claim form. Providers have been encouraged, for dates of service on or after September 1, 2008, to include the NDC code on the claim, but claims without an NDC code have still been paid. Effective for dates of service on or after April 1, 2009, claims without the NDC will be denied. Additional details are available on the NDC Reporting Requirements article.

An analysis of providers’ voluntary NDC submissions (for dates of service on or after September 1, 2008) indicates that physician-administered drug claims are being submitted without the NDC. Providers are reminded that claims for physician-administered drugs submitted without the NDC will be denied for dates of service on or after April 1, 2009.

Training seminars are available. More information can be found on the NDC Reporting Requirements: Provider Workshops article.