Like any public service, providing emergency medical response has its own costs. Vehicle maintenance, medical equipment, gas, training, and operational costs are all just a small portion of expenses that can add up. Given increasingly limited fire department resources, these costs can easily overwhelm smaller volunteer and combination departments. Because fire departments are only paid if they receive reimbursement, it is important to take advantage of the billing opportunities you have. If you fail to submit the correct paperwork, your department is missing out on readily available funds.
In addition, many departments are just not sure that they are “doing it right.” A successful billing submission begins with correct documentation in the field. Below are three of the most common reasons that a submission is denied.
- Incorrect or missing documentation of appropriate medical necessity for transport. If necessity for the transport is not obvious, make sure to clearly justify your actions and document the reason for transport in your report.
- Not taking the patient to the closest appropriate destination. If you cannot transport them to the closest destination, be sure to thoroughly document the reason for transporting them to a more distant location.
- Failure to obtain a beneficiary signature. If one cannot be obtained, record the reason why the patient could not sign and get an appropriate alternate signature.
The Emergency Reporting Medical Billing Link allows you to capture your data in our easy-to-use electronic patient care report (ePCR), then transmit the data electronically to your medical billing company. Our system allows for data transfer in multiple formats so you can submit your documentation in a format your billing agency accepts. Our Medical Billing Link stores all of your data in one secure location while also maintaining HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance. Having direct access to all of this data allows your agency to quickly respond to Public Records Requests based on the Freedom of Information Act (FAOI).
Within our Medical Billing Link you also have the option to set up your system to upload the data on demand or automatically. If you choose to go automated, you can either have your ePCRs uploaded immediately upon authorization or you can set up a predefined schedule and have them submitted on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The system can also be configured to only transmit data to the medical billing provider based upon patient disposition to minimize record review time and billing mistakes. If your jurisdiction bills based upon residency, the system can capture this important information as well.
With Emergency Reporting Medical Billing Link, managing your EMS compliance is easier than ever before. Our system provides a “one-stop shop” approach that provides cost recovery to support the life-saving and critical community services provided by your fire department. The simple and efficient process streamlines your operations and reduces the time it takes your employees to complete this highly important function.
For more information about ER’s Medical Billing Link, visit https://emergencyreporting.com/products/ems-billing-link/ or contact us.
