Summary: Collecting patient copays and deductibles, where applicable, is no slam dunk for billing services or collection agencies. Americans are increasingly reticent, and even recalcitrant, when it comes to their willingness to pay whopping medical bills. Today's article explains the current issues with collecting from patients and explores the q...

Summary: The rules surrounding the use of an advance beneficiary notice are voluminous and complex. Because of this, many providers are hesitant to avail themselves of this billing solution. In this ongoing series of articles on ABNs, we will cover additional rules for the proper use of an ABN when the provider believes the service that the pa...

Summary: It is not enough in this day and age for anesthesia groups to rely on a few staff and on the same processes. If they want to maximize reimbursement while staying compliant with ever-changing rules, anesthesia providers need to consider the value that a sophisticated billing operation can bring to their practice.There is a natural human ten...

Summary: Some anesthesia groups have flirted with various business models that may or may not be in compliance with federal or state laws. Today's article takes a deep dive into the company model. We will review the OIG's rulings on this model and make recommendations on what anesthesia practices should consider before moving forward with such vent...

Summary: Anesthesia groups that once experienced stability are now facing stresses due to various factors. It is becoming increasingly critical for groups to use data-driven metrics to secure reasonable agreements with their hospital administrations. The standard model of such agreements may also be changing.Every anesthesia practice must define i...