ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: Can we update and increase our Fee Schedule at any time, or do we have to do it by a designated date? For example, if we were billing one fee for services rendered in July 2003 and want to increase our rates for January bills, will we be violating any rules? Should we notify our carriers that we are doing this?

Utah Subscriber

Answer: Unless you have a contractual agreement to the contrary, you are free to update your charges whenever you please, and there's no requirement - formal or informal - to give your carriers a heads-up. So, your practice will not be violating any regulations if you decide to change your rates for various services. In fact, many groups evaluate their charges annually and make system-wide updates at that time.