Wiki OB Hospitalist Billing Delivery when OB doc in route to hospital

[Kerrie.Hansen]

Hello: The physician who provided all the ante partum care to the patient did not make it to the hospital in time to deliver the patient. The hospitalist OB is wanting to bill the delivery code and the physician to bill out the antepartum care. Keep in mind the OB doc is taking over all care once they arrive to the hospital. What is the proper protocol for this type of billing? Can the hospitalist and the OB doc come to a financial agreement and allow the OB doc to bill for the delivery or is that fraud? FYI my doc is the OB in route

Thank you

 

[csperoni]

Many practices have arrangements already in place for situations where another ob delivers only. There are many different types of arrangements depending on the practices involved. Some simply have a reciprocal - I deliver for you every other weekend, you deliver for me every other weekend and the practice that the patient belongs to bills global regardless of who actually delivered. Some have a flat rate per delivery. Some split bill.
Yes, if your practice and the hospitalist OB can come to an arrangement, it is not fraud to pay another physician to cover.
If you are setting up a formal arrangement for moving forward, I suggest someone in the compliance realm review that agreement. If it's just a one time thing, I would be less concerned about involving compliance. Just my personal opinion about that.