Guest guest Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 I am a new member of the group starting a solo practice tomorrow in Phoenix (I've been a member of a group for the past 7 yrs). As an extension of the discussion below from Marty, if your patients see one of your colleauges down the street in your absence, I assume that means they are a " new patient " at that other practice, and that practice just bills for them just like any other new patient? And what about if they're part of an HMO that specifies which PCP they can see or not see? Thanks Harter MD You could change your message for when you are in the air – let them know you will be flying and will return their calls when you land, and they can go to the ER if needed w/o talking to you first (some pts wait until hearing from their doc first). I haven't been airborne more than 5 hours at a time, but haven't had any problems with returning calls to my pts. Enjoy your trip! A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 www.PinnacleFamilyMedicine.com From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of resaltz Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:52 AM To: Subject: How to manage coverage How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 If covering for a colleague then you/they can only bill the visit as established even if they've never been seen by the covering provider before.If the patient is an HMO member, here in RI you need to get a referral from the pcp and then bill with the pcp as the referring doc, that person also needs to be listed as part of your coverage group with the HMO.Good luck on your first day!LynnTo: From: christine.harter@...Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:49:27 -0700Subject: Re: How to manage coverage I am a new member of the group starting a solo practice tomorrow in Phoenix (I've been a member of a group for the past 7 yrs). As an extension of the discussion below from Marty, if your patients see one of your colleauges down the street in your absence, I assume that means they are a "new patient" at that other practice, and that practice just bills for them just like any other new patient? And what about if they're part of an HMO that specifies which PCP they can see or not see? Thanks Harter MDOn Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 8:31 PM, Eads <michelle.eadsworldnet (DOT) att.net> wrote: You could change your message for when you are in the air – let them know you will be flying and will return their calls when you land, and they can go to the ER if needed w/o talking to you first (some pts wait until hearing from their doc first). I haven't been airborne more than 5 hours at a time, but haven't had any problems with returning calls to my pts. Enjoy your trip! A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 www.PinnacleFamilyMedicine.com From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of resaltz Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:52 AM To: Subject: How to manage coverage How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about. Thank you. Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. Sign up today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 That's what I do also A Message on my machine that I will check calls twice a day and if you cannot wait the cell phone number ,and I say on Friday night( example) please be patient I will be flying Jean You could change your message for when you are in the air – let them know you will be flying and will return their calls when you land, and they can go to the ER if needed w/o talking to you first (some pts wait until hearing from their doc first). I haven't been airborne more than 5 hours at a time, but haven't had any problems with returning calls to my pts. Enjoy your trip! A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 www.PinnacleFamilyMedicine.com From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of resaltz Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:52 AM To: Subject: How to manage coverage How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about. Thank you. -- If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/please note the new email address.Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/ MD ph fax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 That's what I do also A Message on my machine that I will check calls twice a day and if you cannot wait the cell phone number ,and I say on Friday night( example) please be patient I will be flying Jean You could change your message for when you are in the air – let them know you will be flying and will return their calls when you land, and they can go to the ER if needed w/o talking to you first (some pts wait until hearing from their doc first). I haven't been airborne more than 5 hours at a time, but haven't had any problems with returning calls to my pts. Enjoy your trip! A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 www.PinnacleFamilyMedicine.com From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of resaltz Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:52 AM To: Subject: How to manage coverage How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about. Thank you. -- If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/please note the new email address.Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/ MD ph fax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 This is why we all list our "call partners" with the hospitals and the plans. Now even with managed care you are allowed to treat each other patients even if one is and the other is not the PCP of record. Just make sure these bozos have their paperwork straight. That happened to us once the first time we saw a BC/BS patient for our out of town call partner. I made and stink and got paid because our provider rep knew for quite some time that and covered for one another. And it is all over all our other paperwork with all the other carriers and hospitals, so how did BC screw up? And no they are not a "new patient" if you are covering for one another only use est. patient codes where appropriate.. If you have never seen someone and you can ligitmately see them as a consult, then yes, then they are a "new patient" just as with any other new consult. But I believe if you saw someone as call coverage in the last 3 years then even the consult becomes an est consult not a new consult. Make sure you and your call partners are on each others paperwork with the carriers and the hospitals... That will keep all this crap straight. Hope this helps. To: Sent: Friday, December 5, 2008 8:52:08 AMSubject: Re: How to manage coverage Call the insurance. There is an emergency and your PCP is out.. Will they allow the one visit? I have successfully done it with my coverage partner. From: Harter <christine.harter@ gmail.com>To: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) comSent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:49:27 PMSubject: Re: [Practiceimprovemen t1] How to manage coverage I am a new member of the group starting a solo practice tomorrow in Phoenix (I've been a member of a group for the past 7 yrs). As an extension of the discussion below from Marty, if your patients see one of your colleauges down the street in your absence, I assume that means they are a "new patient" at that other practice, and that practice just bills for them just like any other new patient?And what about if they're part of an HMO that specifies which PCP they can see or not see? Thanks Harter MD On Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 8:31 PM, Eads <michelle.eads@ worldnet. att.net> wrote: You could change your message for when you are in the air – let them know you will be flying and will return their calls when you land, and they can go to the ER if needed w/o talking to you first (some pts wait until hearing from their doc first). I haven't been airborne more than 5 hours at a time, but haven't had any problems with returning calls to my pts. Enjoy your trip! A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 www.PinnacleFamilyM edicine.com From: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) com [mailto:Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) com] On Behalf Of resaltzSent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:52 AMTo: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) comSubject: [Practiceimprovemen t1] How to manage coverage How do you manage coverage when you are a solo practioner and are leaving the country for a few days? Usually I take all my own calls, all my patients have my cell phone number, and I rarely get any calls as I have a small panel of young healthy patients. I can get the calls overseas; however, there is the time that I am in the air that I am concerned about.Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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