Flu vaccine billing

[Guest guest]

First time poster here, but have spent the last 12 months as a tourist on the

practiceimprovement group and have learned plenty of great tips. I finished

residency in June 2010, went to IMP camp last year, and now have run my IMP

style practice since Jan 2011. I am looking for advice on how others handle the

seasonal flu shot billing. Specifically, my assumption is that it would be a

covered benefit with most insurers and therefore as a contracted provider I

would be required to file the claim with my standard administration fee plus fee

for vaccine. I am thinking it would be a violation of my contracts to charge the

patient cash ($25 flat fee) and not deal with filing the claim for them, or

asking them file with their insurance. Is this correct? Obviously my preference

would be to simply charge a flat fee, give it to anyone coming through the door,

and not deal with insurance.

Thanks for any input.

Town Clinic of Crested Butte