Rendering provider payments

[abarr]

I do billing for a psychiatrist who has a PA working under her. When the PA sees her Aetna patients recently, Aetna is sending the checks to the PA rather than the psychiatrist (the billing provider). Aetna says that whoever is on line 31 on the claim form (which is the rendering provider) is the one that gets paid. I've never had this happen before with other insurance companies. The billing provider is the one with the contract with Aetna and the one who the checks should be going to. Any ideas? Thank you!

[Michele]

That is absurd.  The person in box 31 is not the one who gets paid.  The billing provider in box 33 is who all insurances use for payment.  There has to be an issue with the provider file.  I would call back and get a different person.  Explain the situation and see what they say.  If they give you the same answer, which I doubt they will, tell them that you need to speak to someone in provider enrollment.  There are several situations that I can think of where you would never pay the person in box 31.