Home Health & Hospice Week

Don't let the lengthy application form scare you off.

A durable medical equipment company need not be a participating Blue Cross provider to obtain a Blue Cross billing number--and getting one can help your business operate more efficiently.

That was the message June Levey, president of Indianapolis-based DME Claims Services Corp., delivered during a recent Eli teleconference titled "8 Easy Ways to Master DME Billing."

"You'll get your claims processed much faster, even though oftentimes they'll be paid to the patient," Levey said. "You'll just need to bill the patient."

Without a billing number from the health insurance giant, you can't send a claim electronically, Levey noted. And filing on paper allows for more mistakes, she warned.

The application form for a Blue Cross billing number varies from state to state, but they can be as long as 35 pages, Levey observed. "I still encourage providers to go through it," Levey said. "Usually there's more instruction in there than actual stuff you have to fill out." Indicate Whether You're Non-Participating Even if you do have a Blue Cross billing number and file a claim electronically, keep in mind that Blue Cross requires a prescription for DME, Levey noted.

"So you need to find out from your local Blue Cross the correct ways to submit paper documentation to be attached to your electronic claim," she advised. Furthermore, don't forget to put the electronic invoice number assigned by Blue Cross on that additional documentation.

If you don't currently have a Blue Cross number, put "non-par" (for non-participating) at the bottom of your claim form. It should go in the space for the provider number, where you would normally insert your tax identification number. Using your tax ID number there can be a problem as it will cause Blue Cross to check whether you're a participating provider--and that can lead to payment nightmares.

"We've actually had them find a par provider who has a similar name and pay them," Levey warned. "If you put 'non-par,' they won't spend that time looking and send the payment to the wrong provider." 

Note: Order a recording or transcript of the teleconference at http://codinginstitute.com/conference/tapes.cgi?detail=362 or by calling 1-800-508-2582.