Occupational Therapy Billing
While billing can be intimidating if you’re new to it, there’s no reason to fear handling your own billing. Being your own biller gives you complete flexibility and allows you to control the entire client-practice relationship. You can also ensure compliance more easily since you’re aware of everything that’s being done.
This guide explores the essentials you need to know about occupational therapy billing practices. We’ll cover the most common billing errors and how to avoid them. We’ll then take a deep dive into occupational therapy evaluation CPT codes and the criteria required to bill for each. We’ll wrap things up with a look at best practice tips for selecting the right ICD-10 codes.
Common OT Billing Mistakes
Errors with occupational therapy billing can be costly. When claims are rejected, payment for services is delayed, robbing your practice of the operating capital it needs to thrive. Mistakes with coding can also result in incorrect information being added to a client’s billing record, being paid less compensation than you’re owed, or being flagged for an audit by an insurer. Here are some of the most frequently-made billing mistakes and how to steer clear of them.
General Errors and How to Avoid Them
Mistakes in this category are usually a result of carelessness, and they’re easy to avoid.
Clerical Mistakes — Misspelling a client’s name, entering an incorrect date of birth, or transposing a number or letter in the patient’s policy ID number are all examples of clerical errors. These honest mistakes are a hassle to correct and often result in payment delays. Slowing down enough to fill out and submit a billing claims form correctly the first time is always a time-saver.
Double Billing — Submitting the same claim twice all but guarantees a claim will be rejected. Delineate billing responsibilities in your office, so there’s no confusion about who’s submitting claims for reimbursement.
Missing Documentation — If you don’t include adequate information, you may be asked to resubmit the claim. Including all the information required on the initial claims form will reduce rejections and denials.