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Medical billing process and concept question
Difference between inclusive and bundled
AS far as I know both are same. Different insurance use different terms.
Billed Charges
The total charges made by a provider for all services and supplies provided to the member.
Coinsurance
The sharing of allowable charges for covered services. The sharing is expressed as a pair of percentages, a Plan percentage that we pay, and a member percentage that they pay. Once the member has met any applicable deductible amount, the member’s percentage will be applied to the allowable charges for covered services to determine the member’s financial responsibility. The Plan’s percentage will be applied to the allowable charges for covered services to determine the benefits provided.
Difference between authorization and pre-authorization in medical billing?
Both are same however pre-authorization is the one we need to get before providing the service
Coordination of Benefits (COB)
Determining primary/secondary/tertiary liability between various healthcare benefit programs and paying benefits in accordance with established guidelines when members are eligible for benefits under more than one healthcare benefits program.
Copayment (Co-pay)
That portion of charges for covered services, usually expressed as a dollar amount that must be paid by the member and usually collected by a physician at the time of service.
Covered Services
Those medically necessary healthcare services and supplies for which benefits are specified under a member contract/certificate.
Current Procedural Terminology (Procedure )
System of terminology and coding developed by the American Medical Association that is used for describing, coding and reporting medical services and procedures.
Deductible
A specific amount of Covered Services, usually expressed in dollars, that must be incurred by the member before Blue Cross is obligated to member to assume financial responsibility for all or part of the remaining Covered Services under a member contract/certificate.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Allows payment to be sent directly to iLinkBLUE enrolled providers’ checking or savings accounts.
With EFT, providers can view their Weekly Provider Payment Registers in iLinkBLUE and they will not receive a Payment Register by mail.
Difference between 11 & 12 place of service
11 – office (Provider location) visit and 12 – Patient home
Difference between appeal limit and filing limit+medical billing
Filing limit is first time filing and appeal limit is time frame to appeal the claim after denial or low payment.
Difference between billed amount and allowed amount
Difference between fee and allowable in anesthesia billing
Billed amount – What provider billed the insurance.
Allowed amount – What the insurance agree to pay
Participating Plan
A licensee participating in Blue Bank ownership and governance. Also means: A Licensee in whose service area a national account has employee and/or retiree locations, but in which the national account headquarters is not located unless otherwise agreed in accordance with National Account Program policies and provisions.
Professional Allowance/Allowable Charge
The lesser of the submitted charge or the amount established by the Plan as the maximum amount allowed for physician services covered under the terms of the member contract/certificate.
Provider
A licensed or accredited hospital, medical supply or service vendor, or individual that provides medical care to a member.
Difference between claim rejection and denial+medical billing
We can use both word for same meaning. However rejection can’t be appeal and denial can be appeal.
Subscriber/Member
Employees or individuals and their enrolled dependents covered under a subscriber contract/ certificate who are entitled to receive healthcare benefits as defined in and pursuant to a subscriber contract/certificate.
Difference between medicare part a and part b
If we need to say in one word
Part A covers hospital and facility billing
Part b covers provider billing
Difference between co 16 and co 50
CO – 16 – Lack of information – check additional denial
CO – 50 – check the CPT and DX combination.
Difference between write off and adjustments in medical billing
Both are same.
Difference between claim and remittance
Claim – Form to use file the information and send it to insurance CMS 1500
Remittance – EOB
Re-submission Codes for CMS 1500
We have to update the Original reference number/Claim number to Correcting a paper HCFA 1500 in BOX 22. Enter “7” for Replace billing code while submitting electronic claim in Re submission block in PMS.
CMS 1500 field 22 is used to list the original reference number for resubmitted/corrected claim. When resubmitting a claim, enter the appropriate code.
6 Corrected Claim
7 Replacement of prior claim
8 Void/cancel of prior claim
Re submission means the code and original reference number assigned by the destination payer or receiver to indicate a previously submitted claim.
Billing question
can a insurance company deny a medical claim due to missing cpt modifier
Ans :Yes they can.
Solution: We need to file appropriate modifier to get paid.
can you use a v04.81 as a primary dx for 99213
Ans : No.
Note : It should be used for vaccination and inoculation.
can the hospital bill 99213 pos 23
Ans : No.
Note : Place of service 23 could bill only in Emergency room – Hospital.
Can 99213 be billed with 96372
Ans : No. It will not be paid.
Solution : We have to file with 20553 or any other injection code along with modifier 25 for 99213
Note : 90772 changed to 96372 for 2009
Can 99213 and 99223 billed together
Ans: Two E&M Can not be bill together.
Solution: If the two codes billed, then we need to Write/off for the unpaid CPT. Consultations, critical care, procedures, diagnostic services, and any other non-E/M service cannot be billed as shared visits. Which E/M services can be billed as a shared visit? Most common: New patient visits, established patient visits (follow-up visits), initial hospital visits, subsequent hospital visits, prolonged services, emergency department E/M services.
Can 99291 be billed on a UB 04
Ans : Yes. You can billed on UB 04 form
Solution : UB04 form should be use for facility code 14, 24……
If critical care codes 99291 and 99292 services billed in conjunction with admit type 1. Hospitals are required to use HCPCS code 99291 to report outpatient encounters in which critical care services are furnished. The hospital is required to use HCPCS code 99291 in place of, but not in addition to, a code for a medical visit or for an emergency department service.
Can I bill both CPT codes 85025 and CPT code 36415
Ans : No.
Note : If you have billed CPT 36415 with 85025 they will not be separately reimbursed.
Can 99395 be reimbursed
Ans : 99395 will not be separately reimbursed when submitted with CPT 90772. If the Preventative Maintenance code is billed in any other combination if E&M codes, it will not be payable.
Note :99395 when used for EPSDT services, will be reimbursed at 60% of the Medicare non-facility rate when the recipient is agae 21 or older.
99395 when used not for EPSDT, will be reimbursed at 74% of the Medicare non-facility rate when the recipeint is age 21 or older.
Insurance denial question and answer
Can we bill the patient for a denied pre-existing condition claim
Ans : Yes. But make sure that the patient has secondary coverage; we need to send the entire bill to secondary along with the primary denial. Some carriers may be pay and some may not at that time you can bill the patient.
Note : Pre-existing condition refers to the terms and conditions entered in to between the carrier and the patients/subscribers before the beginning of the contract. The rejection will usually say that the claim is being denied due to the pre-existing condition. It would not specify what exactly; the condition is. So carrier needs to be called to find out the pre-existing condition. Preexisting condition may be for anything.
Claim denial types
There is no particular type in denial however below are the common reason
Claim might be denied for incorrect coding information.
Claim might be denied for incorrect provider information.
Claim might be denied for incorrect coverage information
Claim might be denied for lack of information
Claim denials by managed care organization plague long-term care providers
Should be file the claim to patient HMO plan
Claim denials for maximum unites per visit
Check your units of the CPT
Claim denied as inclusive with the primary procedure
Some service covered with primary procedure, Hence we needs to taken write off the claim balance after primary CPT paid. However there is chance with resubmit the inclusive procedure with modifier.
Claim denied as services not provided or authorized by designated
File the claim along with appropriate authorization#. If we don’t have authorization# sometimes we can appeal the claim along with necessary medical document.
Claim denied because of incorrect medical coding
Should be file the claim with correct diagnosis (Dx) and CPT
Claim denied because this injury is the liability of the no-fault carrier.
Should be file the claim to patient auto-insurance.
Claim denied by medicaid because primary insurance changed
File the claim to patient primary insurance. If we don’t have patient primary insurance details needs to call the patient and get the insurance information.
Claim denied by medicare for code co-16 what do i do to get this paid?
We will receive this denial if we have filed the claim with insufficient information. This code co-16 must have additional denials information that informs us what kind of information is missing with claim.
Claim denied due to pre-existing condition
Patient needs to update the medical (medical history) document to insurance and provider also update the medical document to insurance.
Claim denied for CLIA certification#
Should be file the claim with clia certification number. We must file the lab code with clia number.
Claim denied for coordination of benefits
Patient needs to update the COB information to insurance. If patient has more than one insurance, patient need to call the insurance and inform that which insurance is primary and secondary for patient. Patient only can update the COB information to insurance.
Claim denied for maximum benefits reached
File the claim to secondary along with denied EOB. If patient do not have another insurance we can bill the patient.
Claim denied for valid referral
Should be file the claim with valid referral. If we do not have valid referral number, we can request the same from referring doctor and refile the claim with valid referral.
Claim denied no billing code.
Kindly call the insurance and get the reason behind the denials and get the correct CPT
Denied benefits is not covered by the patient’s plan.
We can bill the patient.
Denied insurance claims due to invalid CPT code
Should be file the claim with valid CPT. For example medicare and HMO plans (Humana, freedom health, AVMED, universal, wellcare, Polk county, PUP,) does not cover the consultation code (99241 to 99245 and 99251 to 99255).
Claim denied reason dates of service over one year from process date are not payable.
Should be file the claim with in timely filing limit. If you received the denial even filed the claim with in TFL we can appeal the claim with TFL proof. All insurances has separate filing limit.
Claim denial codes and what action needs to be taken
Each denied claim should have valid reason behind the claim denial and needs to take appropriate action from the denials
Claim denial vs claim rejection
Claim denied by insurance and claim rejected by clearing house OR EDI department
Claim denials bundling inclusive
Needs to differentiate the service by using appropriate modifier and Dx else taken write-off the claim balance
Claim denied primary paid in full
Need to write-off the claim balance.
Cross Over Claims
Medicaid reimburses providers for the coinsurance and deductible amount on Medicare claims for Medicaid recipients who are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The amount paid by Medicaid in combination with the Medicare payment will not exceed the amount Medicaid would pay for the service if it were billed to Medicaid.
User Question and answer
What is the difference between Eligibility Date and Effective Date?
Eligibility date is Generally DOS and effective date is policy start date.
how often should you post electronic funds transfers?
In General post it on daily basis.
I have few Medicare timely filing denials. Medicare does not accept timely filing appeals. Can we bill the patient for 20% of total charge amount?
NO – Its not a legally accepted.
can any tell me what is co share
Its a Patient share of any service or secondary insurance balance
Can you write off a patient’s deductible, copay or coinsurance balance due?
Yes, but should be a valid reason. We should not write off to attract the patients.
