Forum - Questions & Answers
What is the best way to document a NO-Charge on a Claim?
If a provider sees a patient and on the superbill/encounter form he/she writes "NO CHARGE"...what is the appropriate procedure for documentation on a claim? Do we enter an E & M cpt code and adjust off the balance to Prof Courtesy? Or do we enter E & M cpt code and zero out the fee? Any advise would be helpful!
Thank you.
I don't know if its the correct way to do it, but here's how I do it.
I have entered a 'NO CHARGE' code into our software alongside all our other CPT codes. When a patient is seen and for whatever reason we decide to do a 'no charge', I just enter that encounter like I do for all the other normal charges. The 'NO CHARGE' code has a zero charge amount, so even though its entered, there is no dollar amount, nothing gets sent to insurance or to the patient, but I have a record the patient was seen for no charge on that day.
I also use 'no charge' in the diagnosis slot.
No Charge Documentation
I have a no-charge CPT as well, which is a $0 charge - we also don't send anything to insurance or patient, but it is documented in our EMR/Practice Mgmt software that pt was seen and it is a no-charge visit. We still use diagnosis code for why pt was seen, we just don't charge for it.
re: What is the best way to document a NO-Charge on a Claim?
If a provider sees a patient and on the superbill/encounter form he/she writes "NO CHARGE"...what is the appropriate procedure for documentation on a claim? Do we enter an E & M CPT® code and adjust off the balance to Prof Courtesy? Or do we enter E & M CPT® code and zero out the fee? Any advise would be helpful!
Thank you.
re: What is the best way to document a NO-Charge on a Claim?
There should never be a Professional Courtesy. You also have to make sure that a NO CHARGE isn't a violation of your contract w/the insurance carrier. You can have a CPT® with $0 added to your billing software as a tracking mechanism, but for a physician to NO CHARGE as a courtesy isn't a good idea.
re: What is the best way to document a NO-Charge on a Claim?
Use the appropiate E/M code and mark it zero. For Post OP's use 99024.
