The United States hospital medicine is one of the fastest expanding specialties, having over 50,000 hospitalists. Hospitalists can be found in post-acute care (PAC) and in hospitals. In the case of hospitalized patients, the process of california healthcare billing for hospitalists is very complicated. However, it is much easier for patients who are being taken care of by specialists who specialize in various areas, such as outpatients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an entirely new bill for hospitalists. This is a major step towards recognition that hospital medical practices are a part of. This code focuses on ensuring that hospitals receive fair reimbursement and reviewed after it was observed as a change in the model of payment from fee-for-service to a quality-based.

Healthcare Billing

The Key Points for Coding and Billing for Hospitals:

Complete Documentation of the First Visit to the Hospital

There are three major aspects that must be documented during the first hospital visit. The elements are medical-decision-making, physical examination, and history. In order to avoid down-coding, the physician must make sure to document all aspects of their histories and systems, like the family history of patients as well as others.

Different Payment Models and Payers

In submitting claims for reimbursement hospitals must follow the guidelines for billing provided by the payers. Since there are many payers, each with a different payment model. Patients receiving post-acute care who are younger than 65 years old are protected by private payers. The providers who participate in these agreements are evaluated by payers based on various parameters. Additionally, the payers concentrate on bundled payments as well as value-based care. The various criteria include the cost, quality, duration of care, readmission and more.

The primary goal of an audit is to improve the quality of patient treatment, such as by reducing the need for unnecessary treatments and procedures, and stopping iatrogenic illness and finding patients suffering from ongoing problems who haven’t been followed up. This can be accomplished by an agreement on the treatment for common ailments as well as the adoption of standard guidelines as well as regular audits of the departments’ work. 

Reviews can determine whether the diagnoses and treatments are suitable and can identify problems which could have been prevented. The ideal is that each unit’s performance must be evaluated against accepted standards that include relevant aspects such as the characteristics of the populace, the mix of cases and the provision of regionally unrecognized services, as well as the constraints placed on the provision of services. 

Analyzing and comparing the performance of units using standards that are accepted such as performance indicators, outcomes parameters can be an important source of information to identify areas for improvement and improve the quality of care for patients. The main goal of an audit process is better practices in clinical practice, which leads to better outcomes for patients.

Read More: 4 Benefits of hiring an eClinicalWorks billing company

Coding for the Corresponding Hospital Treatment (CPT 99231-99233)

It is among the most difficult elements of billing for hospitalists. errors can lead to down-coding, denials and cause revenue loss. When it comes to billing the hospital’s treatment, hospitals must be cautious to choose the appropriate amount of care based on the state of the patient. Provide proper documentation to back the chosen code. In terms of follow-up involved, proper documentation of appointments is necessary to avoid boosting the likelihood of a refusal for medical reasons.

Many reasons exist for performing medical audits

• To find outliers prior to large payers, spot them in their software for claims and ask for the internal auditor.
• To safeguard against fraudulent claims and fraudulent billing activities.
• To determine if there is an inconsistency from the national averages due to ineffective codes, inadequate documentation or revenue loss.
• To assist in identifying and correcting problems before insurance companies or government payors contest inappropriate code
• To correct under-coding, poor unbundling practices and code abuse, and to invoice appropriately for the documented procedures
• To find reimbursement gaps and reimbursement opportunities.
• to stop using outdated or incorrect codes to perform procedures.
• To validate ICD-10-CM as well as Electronic Health Record (EHR) the readiness for meaningful use

Auditing medical records is lengthy, but the benefits outweigh the discomfort. According to the purpose, medical record audits could be conducted through an external organization or employees within the organization. Audits performed by an outside party are typically for the purpose of evaluating compliance. While internal audits are typically conducted to assess current treatment procedures and assess the quality of medical care. These reports will give you exact information regarding the health of your practice.  Choose the incorrect software for the job and you’ll be forced to shoulder the cost of having the opposite outcomes.

The Accounts Receivable Aging Report (and Follow-Up Reports)

The Accounts Receivable Aging Report provides the claims in depth to reveal problems with payment and allows users to assess whether the accounting department of the business is doing a great job. The report flags any claims older than the certain days. 

The Key Performance Indicators Report

• The report lists the number of encounters, procedures collection, charges, outstanding Accounts Receivables, as well as adjustments. The codes assigned should be representative of the extent of nearly all of the work physicians in the community perform.
• Once you’ve identified the main focus of the review of medical records, identify the criteria to measure the audit. Next, you must determine what factors will determine if the criteria have been fulfilled. A literature review can assist in speeding the process because using methods that have been tested and proven to work will eliminate the need to create your own standards of measurement. Literature reviews also can provide benchmarks to compare.

The outsourcing of the medical billing process and code is just one of the options for healthcare providers since billing regulations are evolving. In addition, requirements for payers and rules, modifier usage and the critical ICD and CPT Coding are also changing. A reputable billing and coding firm Medcare Medical Billing Services (MSO) works with its clients to ensure proper billing and coding as well as documentation that highlights the services.

Thorough Documentation Under ICD-10

The accuracy of coding was made possible through ICD-10 and hospitals must be aware of opportunities to document. Knowing the process and how to document it thoroughly can help describe the severity of the disease, the use of resources, how complex and quality of care.