Unbeknownst to the patient, there are so many things happening behind the scenes from the time they receive radiology services as recommended by their primary physician until they receive their medical bill. And for some, understanding how the billing process works is important. And if you want to fully understand the Radiology Billing processes, and then you have come to the right place.
The Medical Billing Procedure
The Radiology Billing Service process is coordinated between various aspects. This includes the health care provider, the insurance agency, the billing department of the medical facility, as well as other agencies involved. It may take months before all parties coordinate payments. Then, the patient will receive the statement for any unpaid balances. But how does it work?
Data Gathering. During the patients’ checkup, he or she might be requested by the doctor to have some medical or radiology procedures to be done. Important data from you will be collected and that may include your social security number, complete name, current address, and date of birth. Also, the data of the “guarantor” or the person who will take care of the remaining bill will be needed as well.
- Insurance Claims Started. The requested procedure will follow. And once it’s done, the insurance claim will be filed by the billing staff on your behalf. Once that is taken care of, the billing staff will file another claim with your secondary insurance agency if there are any.
- Payment Received. Insurance claims for the services rendered do not take that long to be processed. So when it’s done, any remaining amount that is not covered by the insurance will be billed to the patient or the guarantor. A medical statement will be sent to the patient of how much is needed to be paid after the insurance has taken a portion of it.
The Role of CPT Codes in Billing
You might be wondering about the role of CPT codes in all the billing processes. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is unique medical code used in processing the billing statement of the patient. These codes are essential in reporting to the health care provider and insurance agencies regarding the surgical, medical, and also diagnostic procedures that were done for the said patient.
The CPT codes make the billing process faster and more efficient for all the parties involved. Without CPT, it would take a long time for the Radiology Billing Company to complete generating a final statement for the patient and mistakes may happen due to human error. These codes give patients peace of mind that the final medical statement they receive is true and error-free.