Author Topic: Billing for Psychiatrist  (Read 10133 times)

Csinsay

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 11
Billing for Psychiatrist
« on: October 28, 2010, 02:37:38 PM »
Hello,

I was wondering if someone can give me their opinion on billing for Psychiatrist.  Pros and Cons?  Processes?  Difficulties?  Any other tips and suggestions?   

Thanks!

-Conrad

Michele

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5927
    • Solutions Medical Billing
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2010, 02:51:17 PM »
Love it!


Oh, sorry, did you want me to elaborate a little? 

Usually they only use 2 codes, initial eval 90801 and medication management 90862.  They see several patients, and they are repeat patients.  Some plans require authorization or referrals.  I'm simplifying things, but they really don't get too complicated.  I personally love billing psychiatric.

Michele
Sign Up for our FREE Medical Billing Newsletter
Get a 10% discount on Medical Billing Products by using Coupon Code: 10OFF
http://www.solutions-medical-billing.com

melissa_2004

  • Guest
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2010, 08:14:05 PM »
Same here.  This is the easiest specialty I currently bill for.

jcbilling

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 156
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2010, 07:07:11 PM »
Hi there,

I have never marketed to psychiatrists and am interested in what I'm hearing as far as the simplicity of their billing. However, I have heard and even experienced a reduction in reimbursement when the visit to a family doctor is diagnosed with a psychiatric primary DX. So I'm trying to understand if their reimbursement is lower across the board or what the average payment for a visit would be...any thoughts?

Thanks,
Charity

Michele

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5927
    • Solutions Medical Billing
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2010, 11:13:04 AM »
Some carriers do have the psychiatric reduction, but even then the reimbursement is still fairly good.  And they see more patients per hour than a psychologist or social worker, so it works out.

Sign Up for our FREE Medical Billing Newsletter
Get a 10% discount on Medical Billing Products by using Coupon Code: 10OFF
http://www.solutions-medical-billing.com

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2010, 11:13:04 AM »

jcbilling

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 156
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2010, 12:40:40 AM »
I see - forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?


Michele

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5927
    • Solutions Medical Billing
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2010, 10:15:58 AM »
Not ignorance!  It's only ignorance if you choose not to be educated!

Psychiatrist  -  can prescribe medications, usually sees patients for about 15 minutes to review medications and see how patient is doing.

Psychologist  -  cannot prescribe medications, see patients for psychotherapy, usually appts are 50 minutes to an hour.

 :)

Michele
Sign Up for our FREE Medical Billing Newsletter
Get a 10% discount on Medical Billing Products by using Coupon Code: 10OFF
http://www.solutions-medical-billing.com

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2010, 12:25:34 PM »
Mental health falls under reductions in cases where states have not adapted Mental Health Parity laws, however there are now federal mental health parity laws which you can research to find out the reductions if any. Parity provides patients with access to mental health as any other illness ie; if medical is covered at 80/20 so than should mental health, With Medicare they are easing towards it year by year which you should also research.

In regards to the specialty in general, I love mental health because you can consult with your clients about other services they can provide to increase their revenue. I have mental health clients that do court testimonies, prison intakes,visits, nursing home consults, and other specialty group services. I have one client who spent 7 days a week seeing patients and when we got him into other things he was making twice as much money and spending less time/money on insurance.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

jcbilling

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 156
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2010, 04:40:45 PM »
Wow - thanks for the info...it gives me something to think about as far as our marketing efforts are concerned.

I appreciate it.

rdmoore2003

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • Live Life and Love God
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2010, 08:01:29 PM »
okay michelle, 

i disagree about the differences.  New Mexico and Louisiana now have Medical Psychologists.  Which means that a psychologist with prescriptive rights.

I work for a medical psychologist which has been prescribing now for a couple of years.  Another difference, is that psychologists do testing.    I cant tell you how often we have referrals from all over the state and other states from psychiatrists that are misdiagnosing patients and often prescribing medication that is inaffective.

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2010, 08:01:29 PM »

oneround

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 226
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2010, 09:48:42 PM »
Medical Psychologists are a fairly new breed of post doctoral level correct RD?.  Thing is that these doc's if I'm not mistaken are not licensed under the state psychology board but rather the medical board and very well above your normal basic and applied psychology degree, which can not prescribe scripts.

I'd be interested in obtaining some more information on this if you have some available RD because this topic here has sparked alot of attention.  i also agree on the misdiagnosis deal witht he Psy's  I have reviwed many files and had to really question if these providers even actually spent anytime with the pt. to know what the heck they were prescribing to them.  very interested in what you can pass along on this subject
Michael A. Reynolds, CPC, CCP-P, CPMB, OS
Project Manager
Corporate Compliance
Sharp HealthCare

billingmom

  • Guest
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2010, 01:39:06 AM »
Well i did billing for a psychiatrist and it was easy...  Basically I billed electronically, some cash patients but mainly insurance.  I had no complaints.

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2010, 09:05:54 AM »
They are being certified in areas where psychiatrists are hard to come by.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

Michele

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5927
    • Solutions Medical Billing
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #13 on: November 04, 2010, 09:57:24 AM »
RD is correct, there are now 2 states in the country, New Mexico & Louisiana that allow psychologists who meet specific training requirements to prescribe medications.  The following was taken from:  http://psyris.com/pages/text/a5.html


"Psychologists receive graduate training in psychology and pursue either a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical or counseling psychology. Doctorate programs typically take five to seven years to complete and most states require an additional one or two year long internship in order to gain licensure. Other states require an additional year or two of supervised practice before granting full licensure.

In the United States, there are a handful of psychologists who are authorized by the Department of Defense to provide prescription medications for the treatment of mental illness. The U.S. military recognizes the need to have psychologists fully involved in the treatment of mental disorders."

"Psychologists licensed in the States of New Mexico and Louisiana can also provide prescription medications. To do so, they must meet very specific training requirements and be supervised by a physician."



I also found the following info on the topic from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/f/psychvspsych.htm:


The title of "psychologist" can only be used by an individual who has completed the above education, training, and state licensure. Informal titles such as "counselor" or "therapist" are often used as well, but other mental health care professionals such as licensed social workers can also claim these titles.

Psychiatrists are physicians to have specific training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses. Psychiatrists attend medical school and receive an M.D. After completing medical training, they complete an additional four years of residency training in mental health. In addition to this, some receive additional training in a specific area of interest such as geriatric psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addictions and other areas.
Prescribing Medications

A second important distinction between the two careers is that psychiatrists can prescribe medication, while psychologists cannot. There has been a recent push to grant prescribing powers to psychologists, with states such as New Mexico and Louisiana now allowing psychologists to write prescriptions after consulting with a psychiatrist."

In my response I was only stating the difference, I wasn't implying that I thought either was better than the other, just that they have distinct services that they provide.  Yes some psychologists also do psychological testing, but not all do.  I was only answering the question from a billing standpoint.

Michele

« Last Edit: November 04, 2010, 10:01:47 AM by Michele »
Sign Up for our FREE Medical Billing Newsletter
Get a 10% discount on Medical Billing Products by using Coupon Code: 10OFF
http://www.solutions-medical-billing.com

oneround

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 226
Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2010, 01:33:14 PM »
Thank you Michele, this is good onfor for me to study.
Michael A. Reynolds, CPC, CCP-P, CPMB, OS
Project Manager
Corporate Compliance
Sharp HealthCare

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Billing for Psychiatrist
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2010, 01:33:14 PM »