OBGYN Underpayments in H1 2026: How Much Revenue Did Your Group Leave on the Table?

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For many OB/GYN groups, the biggest financial threat in the first half of 2026 was not claim denials—it was underpayments. Claims were approved, payments were posted, and revenue appeared to arrive normally. Yet a significant percentage of those payments may have been lower than the contracted amount, leaving thousands of dollars unrecovered. Underpayments are particularly dangerous because they often go unnoticed. Unlike denied claims, they do not create an obvious work queue. Unless payments are compared against payer contracts and expected reimbursement schedules, practices may never realize revenue has been lost. As commercial payers, Medicare Advantage plans, and managed care organizations increased reimbursement scrutiny during H1 2026, many OBGYN groups experienced growing variance between expected and actual payments. This is why more providers are investing in specialized OBGYN billing services,  comprehensive medical billing services , advanced RCM services , and proactiv...

Overcoming DME Billing Challenges with a Medical Billing Service

 

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There is a distinctive difference between billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) services and other clinical procedures – durable medical equipment services are ancillary to the primary clinical purpose, and their admissibility is subject to certain conditions. One of the best ways to overcome the DME billing challenges is outsourcing the DME billing services and RCM system.  Physicians since long have found these conditions tricky and challenging to understand, and often either been denied or underpaid for DME services, which may either have been

  • Deemed medical unnecessary,
  • Uncertified by Medicare/Medicaid/private health insurers,
  • Beyond the permissible reimbursement level
  • Lack of solid grounding in the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), which governs level II codes designated for DME equipment and supplies

While physicians have the right to recommend DMEs as part of clinical treatment, they will have to back their recommendation with sufficient proof of them being medically necessary. Proving medical necessity alone will not suffice; it is equally important to know whether or not a patient’s health insurance coverage supports DME services. With Medicare, Medicaid, and even certain private insurance schemes cautious about supporting exorbitant DMEs, physicians would do well to verify whether or not patients’ health plans support DMEs.

Reimbursements are subject to the condition that physicians or patients source the admissible DMEs from payer-recognized vendors or manufacturers. While this condition may endorse payers’ commitment toward quality DMEs that last long and are competitively priced, physicians will certainly be put through the process of identifying Medicare/Medicaid/private insurer-recognized vendors or manufacturers.  What is more interesting is that Medicare has designated certain pharmacies that can only supply admissible DMEs. Therefore, physicians’ task of identifying and sourcing DMEs has certainly become more complex than ever.

DMEs have grown to be clinically superior and functionally perfect these days. While appreciation of quality has facilitated clinical efficiency and patient well-being, the price has been a major issue. Payers have not been all that receptive to the idea of supporting DMEs that are not operationally viable. Medicare/Medicaid too has its reservations against highly-priced DMEs and has put a ceiling on DMEs reimbursements.  Physicians, therefore, need to be aware of these restrictions while encountering patients that require DMEs well beyond their insurance eligibility.

To learn more about Overcoming DME Billing Challenges with a Medical Billing Service, click here: https://bit.ly/3MV7IKB  Contact us at info@medicalbillersandcoders.com888-357-3226.

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