Keep Three On-call Billing Questions In Mind

By Author: Jaun Paul
Total Articles: 53
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What happens if you bill incorrectly when your physician covers for others or when another physician covers for your physician? Well, you could be setting yourself up for charges of fraud.


But don't stress yourself out for this. You'll be ready to file claims correctly if you keep in mind just a few simple answers to the top three on-call billing questions.


Which physician bills for the services rendered?


Don't fall into the trap of letting the other physician bills for the services if your physician is on call and handling patient services for another physician. When your physician renders a service, even while on call for another doctor, it's you who should bill the services.


Bobbi M Bohon, CPC, of Seven Hills Surgical in Lynchburg, Va says that he bills for those billable visits when his surgeons are on call and ...
... covering for the other surgeons in town.


Joseph A. Lamm, office manager for Stark County Surgeons in Massillon, Ohio confirms that each doctor who sees a patient should bill for appropriate services rendered, under his/her own NPI (National Provider Identifier) number.


In fact, Bohon says that whoever sees the patient face to face and documents and signs his/her name should be the one billing for those services rendered irrespective of who the admitting surgeon is.


On-Call ER Services: How do you report them?


Normally it's seen that physicians often tend to patients in the emergency department while on call. But you shouldn't turn to the after-hours codes to bill for those services when the hospital pays your physician for on-call status.


Can billing be skipped altogether?


You might just want to simply arrange a quid-pro-quo arrangement with other practices for your physicians to cover for one another at various times. However, this sets your practice up for financial liability and lost reimbursement.

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