who's responsible for cytology/path fees?

[Guest guest]

I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and

interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and

$102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that

the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my

local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the

patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path

specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

[Guest guest]

From Drain, Oregon: The provider charges (your charges) are shown in your big set of coding books: even if you are totally off medicare you should know their system: but you could get someone elses last years books to use as comparisons. The lab charges the insurance or the patient. I tried to start collecting ahead for my self pay patients, and the lab didn't even have provisions for cash payments. Let them bill, but make sure they have good information. The lab did give me a list of charges, though, so I could warn the patient ahead of time. If patients don't pay up pretty fast, for self pay the lab will send it to collections by 90 days out. Not like the hospital, or us, who can be strung along for months waiting for the final insurance thing. Joannesamanthasanfran wrote: I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and $102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

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[Guest guest]

No, the lab should be billing the patient or their insurance for those.

Also, what do you mean when you say you are " interpreting PAP smears and

punch biopsies " ? I assume you meant that you are just looking over the

typed path/cytology report? I would not have really called that

" interpreting " but rather " reviewing " the results. The pathologist actually

interprets them, doesn't he/she?

who's responsible for cytology/path fees?

I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and

interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and

$102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that

the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my

local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the

patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path

specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

[Guest guest]

No, the lab should be billing the patient or their insurance for those.

Also, what do you mean when you say you are " interpreting PAP smears and

punch biopsies " ? I assume you meant that you are just looking over the

typed path/cytology report? I would not have really called that

" interpreting " but rather " reviewing " the results. The pathologist actually

interprets them, doesn't he/she?

who's responsible for cytology/path fees?

I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and

interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and

$102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that

the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my

local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the

patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path

specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

[Guest guest]

You will come out the loser if you bill for those. What happened to us

is the lab would have to do further stains or do more on a pap, cost

more than we would ever be reimbursed and we were going in the hole.

It is better to do simple lab tests , drug screens etc and send them

off. You stand a chance of breaking even and making some money.

Brent

>

> I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and

> interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and

> $102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that

> the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my

> local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the

> patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path

> specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

You will come out the loser if you bill for those. What happened to us

is the lab would have to do further stains or do more on a pap, cost

more than we would ever be reimbursed and we were going in the hole.

It is better to do simple lab tests , drug screens etc and send them

off. You stand a chance of breaking even and making some money.

Brent

>

> I've been trying to figure out how much to charge for collecting and

> interpreting PAP smears and punch biopsies. Medicare pays $47 and

> $102 respectively. That seemed high to me until someone told me that

> the bill is the responsibility of the physician. But I talked to my

> local lab and they told me they bill the patient's insurance or the

> patient. I'm curious to know, when others collect cytology/path

> specimens in their office, do you end up with the bill? Thanks,

>

>