Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Hint: Benefits verification can solve a lot of your denial problems.What's the top tool in your arsenal to avoid claims rejections? Verify patient eligibility.That was the word from National Government Services (NGS) Medicare's Michelle Coleman during the MAC's recent webinar, "Minimize Errors, Maximize Revenue." Coleman not only shared the top claims submission errors submitted to NGS in December 2011, but also suggested solutions for avoiding the same mistakes. Read on for the scoop on how to keep your revenue rolling in.1. Check Patient EligibilityNGS saw over 49,000 claims in December alone for patients not covered by the contractor. For instance, if a patient enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or moved across the state line, thus changing their MAC to another contractor, they were not covered by NGS and their claims were denied.Solution: Check the patient's eligibility information at every visit. "I know sometimes physicians do that once a year -- [...]