OB-GYN Billing Mistakes That Trigger Audits — and Quietly Cost Practices $8K–$25K Per Quarter

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  The Part No One Warns You About Your OB-GYN claims are getting paid. Your revenue looks stable. Your billing team says things are “fine.” That doesn’t mean your practice is safe. Most OB-GYN audits don’t start with denials, warnings, or red flags you can see. They start silently , months after payers have already paid your claims—when the money has been spent, the charts are archived, and staff turnover has already happened. By the time the recoupment letter arrives, the damage is already done. The Reality Most Practices Learn Too Late Payers don’t audit claims they deny. They audit claims they’ve already paid . For OB-GYN practices, audits typically occur 6 to 18 months after payment . That timing is intentional. It gives payers leverage—because now you’re being asked to return money that’s already been allocated to payroll, rent, malpractice premiums, and growth. This isn’t a reflection of bad intent or sloppy practices. It’s how the system is designed. And OB-GYN...
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Basics of Medicare Consolidated Billing for SNFs

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Need for Consolidated Billing for SNFs

Prior to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) could elect to furnish services to a resident in a covered Part A stay, either, directly using its own resources; through the SNF's transfer agreement hospital; or under arrangements with an independent therapist (for physical, occupational, and speech therapy services). In each of these circumstances, the SNF billed Medicare Part A for the services.

However, the SNF also had the further option of ‘unbundling’ a service altogether; that is, the SNF could permit an outside supplier to furnish the service directly to the resident, and the outside supplier would submit a bill to Medicare Part B, without any involvement of the SNF itself.

This practice created several problems, including the following:

  • Potential for duplicate (Parts A/B) billing if both the SNF and outside supplier billed;
  • An increased out-of-pocket liability incurred by the beneficiary for the Part B deductible and coinsurance even if only the supplier billed; and
  • A dispersal of responsibility for resident care among various outside suppliers adversely affected quality (coordination of care) and program integrity

Then Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), was enacted, containing a Consolidated Billing (CB) requirement for SNFs. Under the CB requirement, an SNF itself must submit all Medicare claims for the services that its residents receive. Conceptually, SNF CB resembles the bundling requirement for inpatient hospital services that's been in effect since the early 1980s, assigning to the facility itself the Medicare billing responsibility for virtually the entire package of services that a facility resident receives, except for certain services that are specifically excluded.

To get more information about Medicare Consolidated Billing for SNFs click here: https://bit.ly/3vmPAjQ. Get in touch with us at: info@medicalbillersandcoders.com/ 888-357-3226.

Location: United States

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