Another Reason to Refer to You
by AJ Riviezzo
One 'campaign' that has been successful for a few of our clients is to provide same-day service on referrals for DVT scans. In many areas, the PCP has limited options for sending their patient out for an ultrasound on a suspected DVT. If you have a full time (or near enough) sonographer, you can offer out to the PCP community that you can provide this service.
There are a couple keys to really making this work. First, you need to be able to work that patient into your sonographer's schedule within a few hours. Second, you need to ensure a telephone call is placed back to the PCP confirming or denying the presence of a DVT. Third, you need to follow up the telephone call with a very good report to the PCP.
There are multiple benefits for having a program like this. For the PCP, this allows them to ensure their patient is seen in a rapid and friendly way rather than going to an urgent/emergent facility. It also allows the PCP to begin a treatment program perhaps more quickly than their current available options. For the practice, you are now being referred to for two different reasons... one of which, DVT, is very clearly understood by the PCP community. It does generate some revenue to offset the cost of your ultrasound technician. It is also not uncommon that what is a suspected DVT is frequently painful varicose veins. This program also allows a new reason for reaching back out to the PCP community . Overall, one of those rare win-win scenarios for everyone... including the patient.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Quick Marketing Thoughts
For Your Consideration
by Marcy Riviezzo
Health Fairs: For whatever reason, there tends to be a number of health fairs after the first of the year in most areas. Some practices have done very well at health fairs and some... not so well. If you do attend one, do not forget to market not only to the attendees of the fair but also to all of the other vendors. Frequently they can become a referral source or help lead you to a referral source.
Medicare: After the New Year, many commercial patients are going to be a bit more reticent to receive treatment for an elective procedure due to their deductible amounts starting over with the new year. Medicare patients have a very low deductible which is frequently covered by their secondary policy. One potential marketing outreach is to hold an educational seminar at a retirement community. Most of these seniors are still very active and concerned about their health. They also are very prone to attend any sort of meeting at their complex that has a physician giving a class. One tip: Bring an US machine (if you have one that is portable) and have one of the residents scanned for everyone to watch. Show and tell still works if you are eight or eighty!
Marketing Materials: With the new year fast coming upon us, you may want to take a little bit of the down time to review your marketing materials. All too often we just reproduce the same materials... frequently with the same results. Are the materials up to date with address, telephone, hours of operation and other pertinent details? Have you added other services such as Botox that should be listed? Try to really read all of your documents as if this is the first time you have seen them.
Internet Updates: Another consideration is updating your Social Living exposure. There are a number of programs like Facebook, Yahoo, and Yelp. You should also review your website to see if it is looking current. Is the material fresh or also a bit out of date. So many patients are now reviewing websites and social media that you need to ensure this is being refreshed regularly.
by Marcy Riviezzo
Health Fairs: For whatever reason, there tends to be a number of health fairs after the first of the year in most areas. Some practices have done very well at health fairs and some... not so well. If you do attend one, do not forget to market not only to the attendees of the fair but also to all of the other vendors. Frequently they can become a referral source or help lead you to a referral source.
Medicare: After the New Year, many commercial patients are going to be a bit more reticent to receive treatment for an elective procedure due to their deductible amounts starting over with the new year. Medicare patients have a very low deductible which is frequently covered by their secondary policy. One potential marketing outreach is to hold an educational seminar at a retirement community. Most of these seniors are still very active and concerned about their health. They also are very prone to attend any sort of meeting at their complex that has a physician giving a class. One tip: Bring an US machine (if you have one that is portable) and have one of the residents scanned for everyone to watch. Show and tell still works if you are eight or eighty!
Marketing Materials: With the new year fast coming upon us, you may want to take a little bit of the down time to review your marketing materials. All too often we just reproduce the same materials... frequently with the same results. Are the materials up to date with address, telephone, hours of operation and other pertinent details? Have you added other services such as Botox that should be listed? Try to really read all of your documents as if this is the first time you have seen them.
Internet Updates: Another consideration is updating your Social Living exposure. There are a number of programs like Facebook, Yahoo, and Yelp. You should also review your website to see if it is looking current. Is the material fresh or also a bit out of date. So many patients are now reviewing websites and social media that you need to ensure this is being refreshed regularly.
Sclerotherapy Billing
Sclero... One More Time
by AJ Riviezzo
My apologies to our regular readers but I received quite a number of questions regarding Medically Necessary Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy. Below is our answers to two very frequent questions posed at the this year's ACP Annual Congress:
Is Medically Necessary Sclerotherapy Paid for by Insurance Plans?
Medicare and almost all commercial insurance plans do pay for medically necessary sclerotherapy (MNS). There are a few keys to being reimbursed. First, you need to ensure the service is medically necessary based upon that payers medical criteria. Second, you typically need to authorize the service with the commercial plan in the same way you would authorize the ablation. Third, you need to ensure you have an operative note for the procedure as well as some notes showing why the patient requires this service.
How do You Bill for Medically Necessary Sclerotherapy?
Each payer is a bit different and there is even some difference in Medicare administrators. That being noted, our typical set of codes for MNS is a 93971 - single leg doppler US as you are usually re-scanning the leg before doing any injection, 76942 for the US guidance, and a 36471 if multiple veins are injected or a 36470 if only one vein is being injected. Even if the 76942 US guidance is rejected or excluded per the policy, we recommend still billing it as you are performing the service.
by AJ Riviezzo
My apologies to our regular readers but I received quite a number of questions regarding Medically Necessary Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy. Below is our answers to two very frequent questions posed at the this year's ACP Annual Congress:
Is Medically Necessary Sclerotherapy Paid for by Insurance Plans?
Medicare and almost all commercial insurance plans do pay for medically necessary sclerotherapy (MNS). There are a few keys to being reimbursed. First, you need to ensure the service is medically necessary based upon that payers medical criteria. Second, you typically need to authorize the service with the commercial plan in the same way you would authorize the ablation. Third, you need to ensure you have an operative note for the procedure as well as some notes showing why the patient requires this service.
How do You Bill for Medically Necessary Sclerotherapy?
Each payer is a bit different and there is even some difference in Medicare administrators. That being noted, our typical set of codes for MNS is a 93971 - single leg doppler US as you are usually re-scanning the leg before doing any injection, 76942 for the US guidance, and a 36471 if multiple veins are injected or a 36470 if only one vein is being injected. Even if the 76942 US guidance is rejected or excluded per the policy, we recommend still billing it as you are performing the service.
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