Primary Care Coding Alert

Steer clear of angry patients and lost reimbursement by covering your bases up front.When your payer won't cover a procedure or service yourfamily physician plans to perform for a Medicare patient, you know to ask the patient to sign an advance beneficiary notice (ABN) explaining coverage expectations. But have you tried using a similar strategy with non-Medicare patients? Follow this expert advice to ensure your physician gets paid for every service without surprising patients with unexpected bills.Implement a Specific ABN for Private PayersIf you know a non-Medicare patient's insurance won't cover a service or procedure, turn to some form of waiver or ABNinspired document. Doing so not only increases your chances of collecting from the patient but is also a good patient relations move."I've done this on occasion," says Elizabeth Hollingshead, CPC, CMC, a corporate billing/coding manager in Marysville, Ohio. "It's more of a way to notify the patient ahead [...]