Billing and Payment: Transfers and Utilization of Chemotherapy Equipment
Q: Patients are taken to a second facility for chemotherapy services because the equipment at the original facility is not operating. How should this be billed?
A: For inpatients, the originating medical facility must bill for these services as part of the original inpatient stay and reimburse the second facility for the use of their chemotherapy services. It is important that this occur so that claims are not submitted with overlapping dates of service. If the originating facility is not able to operate, the receiving facility may bill Medicare, beginning with the date they assume responsibility for the inpatient.
If the services were rendered in an outpatient setting at both facilities, both facilities may bill for their own services as long as the dates of services do not overlap. Specifically, each facility may bill for the particular dates on which they serviced the beneficiary by providing chemotherapy. All facilities need to use the specific line item dates of service for each beneficiary encounter.
Page Last Updated: Wednesday, 31-Dec-2008 10:48:26 CST
