Practice Management Alert
Billing for New Physicians
Question: We have a doctor in our medical office who doesnt have a PIN yet. Should we just file the claims without provider numbers, and maybe compensate the physician on our own terms? Answer: Dont throw away the claims for physicians without payer numbers. "You have to hold them," says Catherine Brink, CMM, CPC, president of Healthcare Resource Management Inc. in Spring Lake, N.J. Once that number comes through, you should send in the claims, she says. Brink does not call this hold "backdating"; youre simply waiting for the PIN number to come through.
Georgia Subscriber
With careful planning, you can avoid the waiting game altogether. "As soon as you know you have a new doctor coming, you should waste no time to get him a PIN," Brink says. This advice precludes having to worry about holding claims. To make sure holding claims for waiting physicians is reimbursable, you should definitely check with your Medicare carrier before you do anything. $ $ $
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