Wiki Resident Assist Billing

tfrick2

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Hello All,

John Smith University is a teaching facility whose billing educators have directed the coding department that they can and should bill separately for resident surgeons/assists, on procedures that are eligible for assistant surgical charges, for commercial and self pay patients only (no government payers).

Example:

Patient Jane Doe has a cystic lesion removed from her shoulder. The operative report lists Surgeon A as the primary surgeon, and Resident B as the assistant. The surgeon notes "we performed...", "We then..." within the report, then ends with the attestation: "I was [present and I participated during the entire procedure (does not need to include opening and closing)," signed by Surgeon A.

This was coded as 23071 GC LT for Surgeon A, and 23071 80 LT GC for Resident B.

We have given them CMS documentation stating that residents should not be billed separately, but we've been told that since they don't bill the resident charges to government payers, then those guidelines don't apply.

I am in desperate need of documentation, something in black and white, to show that they should not bill separately for the resident.

I greatly appreciate any information you can suggest to help me with this!
 
I have always been under the impression that residents were paid by the facility as a salar employee. Therefor their services are not billed out.
 
I have always been under the impression that residents were paid by the facility as a salar employee. Therefor their services are not billed out.

This facility doesn't think they're doing anything wrong, as long as they don't bill to government payers. Trying to find solid documentation saying this is wrong has been difficult.
 
The facility cannot "pay" the resident twice. The resident is a salaried position and does not engage in independent billing of services. Do a search for medical resident billing.
 
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