Every year, anywhere from 40 to 50 million major surgeries take place throughout the country. Many people who undergo these surgeries receive anesthesia before them so they don’t feel any pain.
Because of this, just about every healthcare facility has an anesthesia department that specializes in providing anesthesia to patients. This department is also usually in charge of the billing associated with anesthesia.
If you work in the anesthesia department at a healthcare facility, you need to know how to go about handling the billing process. You can increase revenue each revenue cycle by taking the right approach to billing.
We’ve created a list of financial tips that every healthcare facility should be aware of when it comes to the anesthesia billing process. Take a look at these seven tips below and start putting them to good use right away.
1. Begin by Understanding Your Anesthesia Billing Responsibilities
The anesthesia department at a healthcare facility is typically tasked with doing more than just providing people with the anesthesia they need before surgeries. They’ll also be responsible for the billing side of things.
You need to be aware of this if you work in the anesthesia department at a healthcare facility. You aren’t going to be able to rely on the facility’s main billing department to provide you with any financial help as far as billing patients is concerned.
2. Keep Accurate Records When Providing Anesthesia Services
Because the anesthesia department at a healthcare facility will be responsible for handling its own billing needs, you will need to make every effort to keep accurate records when providing patients with anesthesia services. You should create a system that will allow you to keep track of:
- Which patients you’re providing anesthesia for
- Which specific anesthesia services you’re delivering to patients
- How long you’re giving patients anesthesia for
It’ll be very important for all your records to be as accurate as possible. Otherwise, it could lead to health insurance companies denying claims for patients and putting your department into financial trouble.
3. Make Sure You Know the Correct Anesthesia Codes in Medical Billing
There are different codes used within the medical billing world that you must include when filing claims with health insurance companies. You’ll need to educate yourself on the specific anesthesia codes that you’ll need to submit to these companies.
Some of the most common anesthesia codes are:
- AA, which refers to any anesthesia services that have been provided by an anesthesiologist
- AD, which refers to anesthesia services performed under the watchful eye of a physician
- QX, which refers to non-physician anesthesia services
If you submit claims to insurance companies with the wrong anesthesia codes, it could result in them getting denied. It’s why you need to make sure you’re using the right codes, both for your own records and for the claims that you file.
4. Learn How to Submit Anesthesia Codes to Insurance Companies for Reimbursement
Outside of knowing what the anesthesia codes are for medical billing purposes, you’ll also need to familiarize yourself with the procedures associated with submitting them to insurance companies. Most insurance companies will encourage you to submit these codes along with:
- Names of patients
- Types of anesthesia used
- Length of time anesthesia is used for
It’s imperative that all the codes and information you submit to insurance companies are correct. If they aren’t, it could lead to claims getting denied and hurt your anesthesia department’s revenue.
5. Get Into the Habit of Submitting Insurance Claims Quickly
The quicker that your anesthesia department is able to submit claims to insurance companies, the faster you’re going to be able to get paid. Because of this, you’ll need to be on the ball when it’s time to send claims to these companies.
You should streamline your medical billing process so that you’re able to get claims in fast and receive payments for them ASAP. You can throw your entire revenue cycle off if you’re consistently sending claims in much later than you should.
6. Set Up a System for Billing Patients for Anesthesia Directly
There will be some instances in which your anesthesia department will provide anesthesia to patients who don’t have health insurance coverage. In this case, you’ll need to have a separate system set up for billing these patients for your services.
Just like with submitting claims to insurance companies, you’ll want to act fast when it’s time to send bills to patients. You’ll also want to be ready to send out payment reminders to these patients to increase the chances of them settling up their debts with you.
7. Enlist the Services of an Anesthesiology Medical Billing Company
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could count on someone else to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to your anesthesiology medical billing? You actually can as there are companies that specialize in providing anesthesia departments with the billing help they need.
You should look into calling on one of these companies for help. They can make the entire billing process so much simpler for your department from here on out.
Your Healthcare Facility Can Benefit From These Anesthesia Billing Tips
If your healthcare facility’s anesthesia department is struggling to keep up with billing demands, you should begin using these financial tips. They should help you stay on top of your billing needs.
The key to increasing revenue will be staying organized at all times. It should keep the payments coming in and prevent you from having to chase down revenue at every turn.
Get more business tips in our other blog articles.
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