Ambulance reimbursement: How to strengthen your Ambulance Billing?

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• Ambulance reimbursement How to strengthen your
  Ambulance Billing?

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Ambulance reimbursement How to strengthen your
Ambulance Billing?
The alterations between medical and ambulance
coding are many. Not only are the procedure codes
and documentation unique, but things that doctors
and hospital coders take for granted do not apply
in ambulance medical billing and
coding. Ambulance medical billing service
presents a unique set of compliance challenges.
The ambulance industry over the past few years
has seen a critical rise in the number of false
claims, fraud and irregular audit activity, along
with the usual medical billing and coding error.
It is vital that the ambulance medical coders and
billing specialist fully understand the nuances
of reimbursement to a successful business. Here
are some significant issues in ambulance billing
and helpful advice to strengthen your overall
ambulance billing cycle. Check the medical
necessity The most important thing is for
ambulance transportation service is to check the
medical necessity which still continues to be the
biggest compliance issue. Like any type of
specialized medical service, ambulance
transportation must meet the rules of medical
necessity to get reimbursed. Nonetheless, when it
comes to ambulance billing and coding, the
medical necessity criteria seem to be unclear and
less defined compared to other medical
specialties.
Medical Billing Services in Oregon
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Ambulance reimbursement How to strengthen your
Ambulance Billing?
The federal law medical necessity for ambulance
transportation states that other means of
transportation are challenged by the patients
condition. The latest CMS regulations do present
some added clarification, but the medical
necessity standards for ambulance necessity are
associated on whether the patient could safely be
transported by other means. Simply put, if a
patient could safely be transported by car, a
stretcher van, or any other available means, then
keep in mind that the medical necessity is not
met, and in such a scenario reimbursement cant
be made. Advanced Life Support Billing The
second major compliance issue area in ambulance
billing service is the high paying advanced life
support (ALS) codes used in cases where lower
reimbursed codes should be used. The ALS level of
service can only be charged when the skills
required to care for the patient surpass the
scope of practice in that jurisdiction. Due to
this, an ambulance medical biller must know what
is the approved scope of practice or them in that
jurisdiction, and what extra skills are required
for that certification.
Medical Billing Services in Oregon
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Ambulance reimbursement How to strengthen your
Ambulance Billing?
Train your staff The most important part of
ambulance transportation is to hands on with all
the necessary medical billing codes. Ensure that
all your billers are precisely trained in the
specialized world of ambulance coding and
billing. It is dangerous to assume that billing
and coding knowledge of other specialties can be
automatically applicable to ambulance billing
services. Remember that ambulance transportation
billing and coding has its unique twists and
distinctiveness. So its necessary for the
billers to receive specific training related to
ambulance transportation in order to adhere all
the billing compliance.
Medical Billing Services in Oregon