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Billing and Financial

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Post Palliative care consult service
Author: sredding
Date: Aug 13, 2008 8:21 pm
Our consult team (2 NP FTE's, 0.5 SW,chaplain and 10hrs/month of physician service) has recently begun billing. Is it necessary to have initial palliative care consults, done by NP's, co-signed by a physician in order to bill Medicare? A second question - in our practice we have area hospices contact the palliative care service when a hospice pt is admitted to hospital for any reason (GIP or respite). We do this primarily to make sure all providers are aware of the pt's hospice status related to goals of care. If there is a need for a palliative care consult, can we bill for this service? We are employees of a subsidiary of the hospital. One of the hospices with whom the hospital has a contract is also housed under this subsidiary. Thanks.
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Re:Palliative care consult service (by lynceronsky on 08/28/2008)
Hi Susan, In answer to the first part of your question, yes a NP may bill Medicare for an initial consult and subsequent consults. Other insurers may/may not accept the initial consult from an NP; in general we have encountered only a few that have not. There seems to be some variation in this across the country. The second part of your question is more complicated, and I think the best approach would be to meet with hospice, compliance staff and the palliative care program to discuss both the financial aspects and clinical aspects of your involvement with hospice GIP. Lyn Ceronsky Director, Palliative Care Fairview Health Services A CAPC Palliative Care Leadership Center

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