Cardiology is a tricky part of healthcare. Billing for it has always been complex. From tests to procedures, the coding rules are strict. Now, there's a new challenge — split or shared visits. This is already changing how cardiology billing services work. A split/shared visit means both a doctor and a non-physician, like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, provide parts of the same service on the same day. They work together to treat the patient. Earlier, billing for these visits was easier. Most practices are billed under the doctor's name. But the rules have changed.

It’s time to understand new split/shared visit rules in cardiology billing services.

The new split/shared visit rules:

CMS already changed their rules for documenting split/shared visit. Now, you should bill the visit under the person who spends most time with the patient which is also known as “Substantive portion.”

But for cardiology billing services, it makes things more complicated. Cardiology is a team effort. Doctors and NPPs often share patient care. With the new rule, practices must track time closely. If the NPP spends more time, the visit is billed under their name. If the doctor spends more time, it goes under the doctor's name. This affects payments. Billing under an NPP often means lower reimbursement than billing under a doctor.

It is essential for you to ensure proper documentation to adhere to the new split/shared visit rules, but the documentation process itself is a complex job, as it requires the following details.

Critical information that your documents must include

To follow the new split/shared visit rules, cardiology practices need clear records. They must show that both the doctor and the NPP saw the patient. They also need to note who did what, who spent more time, and how much time each person spent. Without these details, claims can get denied. That's why expert cardiology billing services are so helpful.

A cardiology billing company knows these new rules well. Their team reviews time records, checks coding, and tracks E/M visits to keep your practice compliant. They help avoid costly billing mistakes and also train your staff on the proper steps. Many cardiology billing services offer advanced methodologies to track provider time during split or shared visits. With these tools and support, your practice can reduce errors and denials and see the key benefits as mentioned below-

The major benefits of hiring a cardiology billing service

Real impact on your revenue:

Billing under the wrong provider can cut your payments. It can also lead to audits and compliance risks. Cardiology billing services help avoid these problems. They stay updated on CMS rules and protect your revenue. They also find other billing mistakes like missing modifiers, wrong place of service codes, and incomplete paperwork. These small errors can cause big revenue losses over time.

Significant savings on time and money:

Always remember that split/shared visit rules are complex and understanding them takes time. The good thing is that your team can always focus on patient care when you outsource your billing to a professional RCM company. Each professional of a reputed RCM company always efficiently handles claim submission, payment follow-up, denial management, time tracking, and revenue reports, thus saving your time and money while improving the cash flow.

Staying alert for future changes:

Split/shared visit rules are just one example. Cardiology billing keeps changing. New rules, codes, and payer policies come up often. A cardiology billing company helps you keep up. They track changes and update your billing process fast. This keeps your billing compliant and your revenue steady.

Split/shared visits have changed the cardiology billing game. But with expert help, your practice can adapt smoothly. SunKnowledge Inc. offers tailored cardiology billing services to help you manage these changes. Their experienced team handles everything — from time tracking to coding to denial management. We keep your revenue cycle running smoothly, so you can focus on patient care. If you're ready for expert cardiology billing support, let SunKnowledge Inc. be your trusted partner.