Wiki ASC- Implants and In and Out Provisional Items

[bdegeronimo]

Good Morning-I submit billing for an ASC and we do not bill for provisional items used during a surgery case (ie, K-wire, Drills, etc). We also do not bill for "In and Out" screws and/or anchors--we do not consider these items as "implants" because they are not permanently implanted into the patient. Therefore, they fall under the case cost. We are being told that we can in fact bill for these items by the manufacturer and a separate ASC company. There is nothing in our contracts stating we cannot bill for these-however, UHC states the definition of an implant is "an item that stays in the patient for at least 30 days". Can anyone share with me what their policy is?