The document discusses common errors in ambulance transportation billing, which can negatively impact relationships with patients and reimbursements from insurance companies. It identifies three main types of errors: coding errors, procedural errors, and fee schedule errors, and emphasizes the importance of expert medical coders in minimizing these mistakes. Additionally, it outlines four methods of billing by carriers to avoid fee schedule errors, noting that improving accuracy in billing and coding can enhance the revenue cycle.

1. Avoid Common Errors
in Ambulance
Transportation Billing
Medical Billers and Coders

2. An ambulance is a part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS),
which is a billable event and most of the insurance companies such
as Medicaid and Medicare compensate for it. Billing and coding for
ambulance services may be complex owing to different modes of
transportation like air, water, and ground. Apart from this,
reimbursement of ambulance transportation rates could vary with a
large margin depends on the types of services offered to each
patient. However, errors in any kind of medical billing could impact
negatively the relationship with your patients. As per the article
published in the WALL STREET JOURNAL anticipated that
approximately 30% to 40% of bills have errors.

3. There are some common errors in ambulance transportation
billing are as follows:
1. Coding Errors
2. Procedural Errors
3. Fee schedule errors
Without wasting much time let’s jump on to the discussion of errors
one by one.

4. 1. Coding Errors
Billers are trained in such a way that they are able to understand
the run sheets and select the desired codes, which identifies the
condition of the patient properly in order to make proper
reimbursement.
Experienced medical coders are comfortable with their workflow. As
a result of which they do not spend more time observing new codes
in order to make sure that they are utilizing the most appropriate
codes. Additionally, they do not undergo the process of
crosschecking after entering codes. Nevertheless, with thousands
of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, it is normal to
select false procedural code when finishing claims, specifically with
the addition of new codes that could result in coding errors.

5. 2. Procedural Errors
Medical billers are assigned with keeping healthcare service
providers on the strong financial ground via satisfying patients with
proper and consistent processing of their claims. In order to lower
claim denials, a team of expert medical coders, which can keep an
eye on diagnoses, outpatient procedures, and thousands of codes
for medical procedures will definitely help you. Moreover, the
familiarity of this team with Medicare as well as ambulance
transport services’ insurance guidelines will minimize or nullify the
procedural errors.

6. 3. Fee Schedule Errors
There are about four methods of billing enabled by
carriers presently as follows:
1. Suppliers are compensated at a comprehensive base rate
showing all mileage, services, and supplies.
2. Suppliers are paid at a base rate with different charges for not
only mileage but also for supplies
3. Suppliers are compensated at a base rate in order to add
supplies with a designated charge for mileage
4. Suppliers are compensated at a base rate in order to add
services mileage but designated charges for supplies.

7. In order to avoid fee schedule errors, ambulance transportation
billing services must aware of the above methods. Moreover, the
analysis should be done to avoid errors in fee scheduling and
find out the requirement for itemized billing or one, which allows
mileage and base rate only.
Operational errors are considered common errors in every
industry. As far as Medicare is concerned, optimizing billing and
coding errors could impact positively the revenue cycle.

8. Get in Touch
Medical Billers and Coders
Email : info@medicalbillersandcoders.com
Toll Free no: 888-357-3226