Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Charging for Paperwork

Do you all charge for completion of paperwork?? Have you attempted to bill insurance for reimbursement? How did you bill? Were you successful and with which insurers??

We typically charge patients/parents for paperwork. The usual sports physicals, camp forms, medication forms, etc. Occasionally we receive requests to complete more extensive papers for some of our more complex patients and my doc wants to know if there can be success with billing commercial payers for this time outside of a visit??

Any and all input appreciated!!

Kris

We don't charge for paperwork. Our population is mostly medicaid and they would be resistant to that. We do have some policies:

1. You have to bring or mail the form already filled with child's name, parent's name, etc. to the office. You can't fax or email it. So this helps with the cost of paper and ink. ALSO I think this makes people think more carefully about whether they really need the form or not. (This is my speculation.)

2. You get it back in 3 business days. If you want the form filled out immediately, you have to make an appointment, so we can get reimbursed that way. You can bill 99211 for a visit without a sick diagnosis code. So if they have copay/deductible, they have to pay that.

3. For physicals, we just schedule a well checkup so that we get that reimbursement. This works for us bc we are not booked out for months, so a visit for a sports physical and CU at the same time can be scheduled within 1 week.

4. For patients who need lots of DME, supplies form, we tell them they have to be seen every 6 months. Usually for these, as long as they were seen within 6 months, we will accept mailed forms (not faxed) from the supplies companies and fax them back within 3 business days. Some companies like to use reps to drop off and pick up the forms. They have no problems with the no fax rule.

5. There's an exception for WIC forms. That form we provide during well checks. If the baby needs a formula change, it's a visit and we'll provide the form.

We bill insurance companies for all chart requests. No exceptions.

I hate filling out papers --
The usual disabled parking, disabled hunters, FMLA, back to work, etc., all benefit patients, so I see no reason not to charge them for the service. Except that they won't pay.
So I say "in order t make sure I fill out the form correctly you will need to make an office visit and we will fill it out together". Then I charge an office call.

Insurance companies sometimes require extensive, exhaustive forms for long term care, etc -- they have to come in for a visit.

Record reviews -- we can usually insist that the insurance company pay.
Home health forms -- supposedly you can get paid for supervising home health but we haven't had much luck billing it.