Fix ASC Billing Margins to Protect Surgical Revenue

Image
Fix ASC Billing Margins to Restore Financial Stability Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are under increasing financial pressure. Rising supply costs, staffing challenges, payer reimbursement cuts, and complex billing rules are steadily shrinking profitability. When billing inefficiencies exist, even high surgical volume cannot protect ASC billing margins. Fixing ASC billing margins requires more than increasing case volume. It demands accurate coding, clean claims, payer compliance, and a disciplined revenue cycle strategy. Without these elements in place, revenue leakage becomes inevitable. Why ASC Billing Margins Are Declining ASC billing margins are declining across the U.S. healthcare system due to a combination of operational and reimbursement-related factors. Many of these issues remain hidden until cash flow is already impacted. Key contributors include: Underreported procedures and implants Incorrect CPT, HCPCS, and modifier usage Missed or delayed pre-authorizations ...

Overcoming DME Billing Challenges with a Medical Billing Service

 

overcomingdmebillingchallengeswithamedicalbillingservice.jpg

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Reduce Days in A/R with Smart Denial Management Strategies

How Outsourced Medical Billing Can Improve Your Practice’s Profitability

Understanding the Differences Between Claim Denials and Rejections in Medical Billing