Which of the following is NOT a requirement for billing incident-to services?

The choice that identifies a statement that is NOT a requirement for billing incident-to services correctly highlights a key aspect of Medicare regulations.

In "incident-to" billing, one of the primary requirements is that a physician must provide direct supervision of the non-physician provider (NPP) during the service, meaning the physician should be present in the office suite while the service is being rendered. This ensures the physician maintains control over the care process and can intervene if necessary.

Furthermore, the requirements specify that the physician must be involved in the initiation of care and there should be a partnership in terms of billing between the physician and the NPP, necessitating that they belong to the same billing group entity.

However, the stipulation regarding the location of the supervising physician is critical. The physician must be in proximity to the NPP during the delivery of care, which implies that they cannot be located anywhere in the country. This requirement is based on the Medicare guidelines intended to maintain the quality and coordination of care. Therefore, it is accurate to state that the physician's location being unrestricted is not a requirement for billing incident-to services.