covering doc

[bcotton]

We bill for an Internal Medicine doctor who sees patients at the hospital on weekends. He has been asked by another doctor to cover his patients on Saturdays. It is not really a locum tenems situation and my doc would like to bill and be paid directly from the payers rather than by the doctor he is covering for. Problem...there is another doctor that does rounds and sees some of the same patients who is also Internal medicine. Will this cause a problem with the billing? Any suggestions? Thanks!!

[Michele]

It will vary by insurance carrier I believe.  If the two are completely independent of each other both visits may be allowed, but some plans may say only 1 visit per day.  But my question is, why would the other dr be visiting the same patients??  If your dr is being asked to cover for another dr (to cover his patients) why is the 3rd dr in the picture?