Medical Billing Forum

General Category => General Questions => : Billing2 November 05, 2013, 11:17:21 AM

: EOB's
: Billing2 November 05, 2013, 11:17:21 AM
So glad to be back on with you all. It’s been away too long. But I have a few questions for you all. 
How long do you all keep your EOB’S from your offices? My files cabinets are full, and so is my storage room with box's for each office. I would like to clean it out. With everything on line now, do you all still keep them for seven years?
I print a lot of them out of Navi Net, because a couple of my office I do their payroll and need to bring down each payment by provider and it helps me to print them out and write the provider on them.
 
: Re: EOB's
: rdmoore2003 November 05, 2013, 07:47:19 PM
we keep indefinite, only because they are scanned into the computer.
: Re: EOB's
: Merry November 05, 2013, 09:29:36 PM
At least 6 years 3 months but your state may have more stringent laws. Check and do not destroy until you know.

Merry
: Re: EOB's
: PMRNC November 06, 2013, 10:50:47 AM
If your state law is longer than federal, state law supersede.

: Re: EOB's
: Billing2 November 06, 2013, 03:41:37 PM
If your state law is longer than federal, state law supersede.

I called the NJ TPB office and they said one year.
: Re: EOB's
: DMK November 06, 2013, 04:18:59 PM
Then federal law will apply.
: Re: EOB's
: PMRNC November 06, 2013, 06:11:17 PM
I think in another post you said you were in NJ .. if this is a NJ Provider:
NJ is generally 10 years.. could even be 20 depending:

Just a little tip.. I know NJ very well.. don't ever rely on info over phone.. often in NJ the right hand does NOT know what the left hand is doing.



N.J. Admin. Code § 13:35-6.5(b)

Adult patients
10 years following the most recent
discharge.


Minor patients
10 years following the most recent
discharge or until the patient is 23 years of
age, whichever is longer.

Discharge summary sheets (all)
20 years after discharge.
N.J. Stat. Ann. § 26:8-5 (2008
: Re: EOB's
: Billing2 November 07, 2013, 10:45:36 AM
Then federal law will apply.

Yes, it's for NJ.

You have to keep medical records, they said for 7-10 years. But not EOB's. They even ask way do I even print them all out don't I just upload them.

The funny part is, they said you waste a lot of paper. I said yes, but it keeps my logging family with a job.:)

As always THANK YOU all for your help.
: Re: EOB's
: PMRNC November 07, 2013, 11:51:48 AM
Here's what I've always followed after consulting with my attorney a few years ago on this very issue. My attorney told me that if the original filing system kept EOB's in separate files they could be treated as "NOT part of the medical record".  If the office's policy was to keep EOB's with the patients record then it was a part of the record.  There are two sets of laws on this, one is for the "medical record" and the other is "patient billing file" which is defined by NJ as: Patient Billing File Includes: Admission Form (Copy), verification documentation, insurance company correspondence, detailed billing list, and uniform bill. 

It boils down to what is considered a part of the record for both billing and treatment (HIPAA)

Another issue is audit's. I consider ANYTHING my clients sent me as my source documents. When going back and forth with this you will see 7 years, 6 years, 10 years for medical records, but again NJ defines both a medical record and billing record. With that in mind and the advice of my attorney I go for the 10 years. I live by mom's age old advice  "Rather be safe that sorry".   I actually scan my EOB's now to an external hard drive. That is an acceptable form of retention. When I hit the 10 year mark for clients is when I destroyed what I had at that point (through proper disposal means).  Then I started the scanning process so it saves me space. :)

 

: Re: EOB's
: BBSpecialists@aol.com January 24, 2014, 06:57:35 PM
We scan everything into an external hard drive - our file cabinets could not keep up, and that way when a provider calls and wants specific info it is at our finger tips and we don't have to flip through pages and pages of EOB's to find it.
: Re: EOB's
: PMRNC January 25, 2014, 03:04:30 PM
We scan everything into an external hard drive - our file cabinets could not keep up, and that way when a provider calls and wants specific info it is at our finger tips and we don't have to flip through pages and pages of EOB's to find it.

Even with a computer scan system, make sure you are protected in an audit. If feds show up you need to produce what they want.. has to be a fully compliant system.. I don't throw away, shred or do anything with my "SOURCE" documents (anything coming from my provider on hard copy). My system does have a lookup feature but in case of an audit I can produce full source documents.
: Re: EOB's
: RichardP January 26, 2014, 08:26:43 PM
My system does have a lookup feature but in case of an audit I can produce full source documents.

Linda, do you do any electronic billing in which you get an Electronic Remittance and no paper EOB?
: Re: EOB's
: PMRNC January 29, 2014, 04:49:43 PM
Linda, do you do any electronic billing in which you get an Electronic Remittance and no paper EOB?

Of course, but I was referencing "SOURCE" documents. If my client sends it to me, it's MY source document.. whether it's a napkin, sticky note or EOB.