| A physician circles his E/M code on the superbill after | | | | • If the superbill is not complete and out of date, |
| attending to a patient. But hold on, his job is not done | | | | there can be serious consequences. |
| as yet. | | | | • If the person entering the data can’t confirm |
| If you’re submitting a claim based solely on the | | | | procedures done, there might be incorrect claims. |
| physician’s writing on the superbill, think again. Doing | | | | Remember that superbills do not replace the |
| so may well land you in a tight spot. | | | | anesthesia record. If billing personnel do not bill from |
| The fee slip is a communication tool between the | | | | anesthesia record based on the services actually |
| physician and the front desk/coder/receptionist | | | | documented, they are billing blindly. |
| support staff. It should not become part of the medical | | | | What you should do instead: Make it a point to use the |
| record; it should be kept in a separate financial record | | | | documentation to confirm that the physician selected |
| if that is accessible. In fact you should avoid coding | | | | the right code. If need be, discuss the discrepency with |
| directly from the superbill in all aspects of your practice, | | | | your physician to check if he forgot some |
| not just E/M. | | | | documentation or forgot to put it in the chart. Do not |
| One cannot deny the fact that coding directly from the | | | | downcode without lending an ear to your physician and |
| superbill is faster in terms of productivity time and | | | | letting him explain his reasoning. |
| claims processing, but this type of coding is also | | | | For more anesthesia coding updates and ways to get |
| fraught with errors and missed revenue. Watch out for | | | | your claims right, head to medical coding conferences |
| the following: | | | | and gain more insight. |