Medicare billing

[csidejas8994]

May a physician or outpatient surgi-center BILL (not verify coverage for future billing purposes) Medicare PRIOR to the actual surgery being done?

 

[mattspits]

May a physician or outpatient surgi-center BILL (not verify coverage for future billing purposes) Medicare PRIOR to the actual surgery being done?

Doesn't make sense to me, what happens if the surgery is not performed? Also, I'm sure you have to have a date of service for the procedure. Asked my wife who bills Medicare for a skilled nursing facility, and she says the same thing.

 

[csidejas8994]

May a physician or outpatient surgi-center BILL (not verify coverage for future billing purposes) Medicare PRIOR to the actual surgery being done?

Doesn't make sense to me, what happens if the surgery is not performed? Also, I'm sure you have to have a date of service for the procedure. Asked my wife who bills Medicare for a skilled nursing facility, and she says the same thing.

Thank you to you and your wife. I'm new to the Medicare usage and the message left on my cell from the surgi-center (after hours) said they had billed for the SURGERY, now scheduled for 8/3. When I was able to reach them this afternoon, they said oops, what they'd meant to say was they'd billed for the PRE-OP workup. Now THAT makes sense, and also shows no one's letting any grass grow under his/her feet in the billing process. Again, thanks for the assist.