READER QUESTIONS:
Withhold Payment Until Outside Firm Gets NPIs
Published on Sun Mar 01, 2009
Question: Our client practice, an otolaryngology group, employs several audiologists. We have their NPI numbers and bill accordingly at most of the office locations. The same group uses an outside company to perform the tests at several satellite offices. The ENT group pays this firm monthly for the services. The firm has not complied with getting their audiologists NPI numbers. We are holding charges, as we understood that these could not go out under the physicians numbers. How should we handle these? Maine Subscriber Answer: Youre doing the right thing. Unless the procedures are among the few audiologists may perform without a professional component during the test, and the doctor can do the professional component, the audiologists must have their NPIs. Billing tip: Since these practitioners are contract employees (paid by the day or hour, not by the test), they are 1099 income to the company they work for. That [...]