You can bill through just your name and Medicare number without a problem. I haven't yet changed my Medicare provider info to indicate the company name instead of my name but am told that it is a fairly painless process. Licensure through the state worked fine for me when applying for both Medicare and Medicaid numbers. No one even brought up the national registry (which I am not currently paying for).
I think that there are a lot of kinks and strange things with billing Part B. For instance, they only pay for certain services with certain diagnosis codes. I didn't find that information easy to access through my intermediary, but other intermediaries may have it more readily available. I certainly have plenty of business with doing only custom rehab evaluations and follow-up to make this a full time business. I am anxious to see how much easier payment is with a billing company doing that legwork. With providing home health, as in ongoing treatment, I think that you have to be careful. Either you need to contract with smaller home health companies that don't have OT, and then the company will bill and pay you contract. OR, you have to make sure that there is not a home health company providing services in the home or you will be caught under the "home health episode of care" rule from Medicare. The overview, to my understanding, is that if a home health company is providing services, Medicare feels that everything should be billed/covered through that one agency. If they get a separate bill from you while a home health company is billing, your services will be denied. It is kind of a lot of run-around and phone time. I don't know if you are going to have an "office person" or not. I don't, so everything is up to me. Good luck! Mary Alice On Nov 20, 2007, at 5:51 PM, Gregory Stelmach wrote: > Mary: > Thank you. How is the compliance, licensure, business aspect of > providing therapy through part B. I am actively developing a LLC, > I have applied for my personal Medicare number, then I am going to > link it to the LLC. Do I have to wait to bill Medicare through my > LLC until I link my Medicare number to the LLC or can I just use my > Medicare number? > > I am meeting my attorney to figure out the legal aspect. How do > you see this as a business? > > Thanks. > > Greg > > Mary Alice Cafiero <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I just hired a billing company because the detail of billing was > driving me nuts. They haven't put through the first batch yet, so I'm > not sure how much better I will like it. I can tell you that I > already like not staying up late worrying about billing when I am > already tired from the day. I am my own LLC, and everything is billed > through my Medicare provider number. (or Medicaid or often SS# for > private insurance). > > Since I am doing only wheelchairs and seating and not billing for > ongoing therapy, it is a different ball game than pure home health. > The biggest thing for me is making sure that the patient is not > receiving home health services paid for by Medicare because, if they > are, I cannot bill separately for my services. > > Hope that makes sense, > Mary Alice > On Nov 20, 2007, at 10:16 AM, Gregory Stelmach wrote: > >> Is it easy to bill Medicare part B for therapy services? Do you >> have your own LLC or bill it through your own Medicare provider >> number? Is it worth getting into? >> >> Mary Alice Cafiero wrote: Bill, >> I am in the same area that you are and am not currently reimbursed >> for mileage. I am an independent contractor and do evaluations for >> clients in their homes. I used to get paid by the wheelchair vendor >> for the evaluation and mileage (.36/mile). With all the Medicare >> changes, I no longer invoice the w/c vendors but bill the patient's >> insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, or private) myself. Mileage is not >> reimbursed per patient or per week. >> >> The difference now is that I can use mileage as a tax deduction at >> the end of the year. It doesn't help as much when I get my checks or >> put gas in my car, but it will help out in the end. I also drive >> about as many miles as you do, but that is by choice since I could >> turn down the referrals if I wanted to. >> >> I know that my situation is not exactly like yours but thought I'd >> weigh in anyhow. >> Mary Alice >> On Nov 20, 2007, at 8:57 AM, Bill Maloney wrote: >> >>> If there are any readers out there who practice home health, I'd >>> truly appreciate it if you could spend a moment responding to this >>> message. I am working for a for-profit agency. As such, the owner >>> will not turn down any referrals (esp. medicare....ethics >>> questions, but not in this message), irrespective of the distance >>> that clinicians have to commute to cover them. >>> >>> I am reimbursed .36/mile (used to work for an agency that >>> reimbursed current IRS allowable (.48.5/mile so got spoiled) and on >>> average travel 350 to 600 miles a week. My biweekly "quota" or >>> productivity expectation is 64 units/points (an evaluation visit >>> counts as 1.5, a regular revisit counts as 1, and a discharge OASIS >>> counts as 1.5; meetings are counted as points/units for time). >>> >>> Questions: Are there any of you who travel more? Are any of you >>> either not reimbursed for mileage at all, or reimbursed at a lower >>> rate? Are there any of you who have higher "quotas?" >>> >>> Again, thanks for your time. If you'd prefer to respond directly >>> to my e-mail (although others would miss the benefit or your >>> responses) feel free to do that as well: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> Bill Maloney, OTR >>> Dallas, TX >>> -- >>> Options? >>> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >>> >>> Archive? >>> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >>> >>> ******************************************************************** >>> * >>> * >>> **************** >>> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science >>> for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your >>> career. >>> www.otdegree.com/otn >>> ******************************************************************** >>> * >>> * >>> **************** >> >> >> -- >> Options? >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >> Archive? >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> ********************************************************************* >> * >> **************** >> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science >> for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your >> career. >> www.otdegree.com/otn >> ********************************************************************* >> * >> **************** >> >> -- >> Options? >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >> Archive? >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> ********************************************************************* >> * >> **************** >> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science >> for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your >> career. >> www.otdegree.com/otn >> ********************************************************************* >> * >> **************** > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > ********************************************************************** > **************** > Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science > for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. > www.otdegree.com/otn > ********************************************************************** > **************** > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > ********************************************************************** > **************** > Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science > for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. > www.otdegree.com/otn > ********************************************************************** > **************** -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
