Wiki Medical Releases

[alician]

I have been working with a lab company in a different state after spending about 2 1/2 years working strictly with Substance Abuse in NY. In NY, we were NEVER allowed to bill an insurance without a signed release from the patient allowing us to do so. Where I am now, if we find out that the pt has other insurance, we get the information and bill it without any permission from the pt. every fiber of my being is screaming that this is wrong, but since I'm now located in a different state, and no longer dealing with CFR 42 restrictions, I'm unsure if maybe the rules are different? Does anyone have any ideas? Is there a chance that this is okay?

 

[CatchTheWind]

There is a good overview of this subject at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19829/

For details, you will have to check the laws for the state the patient is in. You might try googling "substance abuse records statute [state name]." If that doesn't work, add in a keyword such as disclosure, release, or confidentiality.

 

[Leenahz]

I feel the same as you. I'm in Virginia and we need a signature to bill SA services.

Lena