Submit Proper Documentation for Surgical Services
- By Renee Dustman
- In Audit
- April 7, 2017
- Comments Off on Submit Proper Documentation for Surgical Services
The main reason Medicare denies claims is because there is insufficient documentation in the medical record. For all surgical services, make sure the medical record has these four elements:
- Correct date of service
- Reason for procedure
- Signed operative report
- Physician signature and/or signature log or attestation for an illegible signature
Showing medical necessity is only one piece of the puzzle, however.
A general statement signed by the ordering physician saying that conservative treatment measures were tried and failed, is not enough. You must provide supporting documentation for the services being billed.
Documentation Improvement Tip
The Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO®) credential validates a documentation professional’s expertese in reviewing outpatient documentation for accuracy in the support of coding, quality measures, and clinical requirements. Learn more about the CDEO credential.
Managing Editor at AAPC
Renee Dustman, BS, AAPC MACRA Proficient, is managing editor - content & editorial at AAPC. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Communications - Journalism. Renee has more than 30 years' experience in journalistic reporting, print production, graphic design, and content management. Follow her on Twitter @dustman_aapc.
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What about the BODY of the Op Report. Details need to be included IE, if an incision was made, how deep was the incision, incision site. These things are often missed. Just listing the 4 elements is not enough.
Nurse Auditors in the Audit and Appeal portion of our Finance Department review the chart before it is sent out in response to the ADR request. If Medicare – the signature must be legible or a legible identifier (pre-printed name.) must appear on the page with the signature. The signature must be dated and timed. If electronic, there are Medicare electronic signature requirements as well. If anything is noted missing, we have proactively appended a physician signature attestation. Preventing the denial through a few extra steps makes the most sense.
Can a preliminary operative report be coded and claim submitted for payment? Is there a guideline that specifies it should be a final op report?