In today’s blog post, we discuss the topic of QME doctor depositions, from a definition of QME doctors to the guidelines to bill medical testimony. Keep reading to learn more. What Is a QME Doctor? The term QME stands for Qualified Medical Evaluator. In California, a QME doctor is a physician certified by the Medical…
A proposed piece of legislation (AB 399) would limit to $50 the fee to determine eligibility for Independent Bill Review. Here’s what you need to know. What Is Independent Bill Review (IBR)? Simply put, Independent Bill Review, or IBR, is a non-judicial process for resolving California medical-legal billing disputes where the medical provider disagrees with…
Although California’s updated Medical-Legal Fee Schedule has been in effect for a little over a year now, an overview is always helpful. In this quick guide, you’ll find California’s med-legal billing codes, along with their modifiers and some crucial information about each code. I – Med-Legal Billing Codes in California ML200 Missed Appointment for a…
If you are a healthcare professional still on the fence about hiring a medical billing company, here are five benefits 1. Focus on What You Do Best As a healthcare professional, you know that caring for your patients is a full-time job that requires your undivided attention. If in addition to providing care for your…
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) announced on Wednesday that it has adopted a new rule that allows for medical legal reports to be served electronically. Here’s what you need to keep in mind: Electronic service is allowed only when the parties agree and written confirmation exists. At the time of giving written consent…
Medical legal billing in California can be a challenging topic if you don’t know some basic terms. From EOR to IBR, in this post we outline the meaning of all the acronyms and medical terms you need to know to make sense of medical legal billing in the Golden State. AME The acronym AME Stands…
The surge in infections related to the Omicron variant led the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) to adopt emergency regulations for medical-legal evaluations that allow Qualified Medical Evaluators (QME) and Agreed Medical Evaluators (AME) to perform medical-legal evaluations using telehealth. These regulations will remain in place from January 18, 2022, until July 19, 2022,…
Today we take a closer look at the Second Bill Review/Independent Bill Review Process, from some basic definitions to the things medical providers should keep in mind when they dispute a medical-legal payment. What Is a Second Bill Review (SBR)? The Second Bill Review, or SBR for short, is a process that allows healthcare professionals…
There’s a worrying trend that workers’ comp doctors in California are facing increasingly often: Incorrect Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) reductions that slash their revenue and consume administrative resources. In theory, workers’ comp providers are protected by the California Labor Code, which sets rules to “prevent the improper selling, leasing, or transferring of a health care…
A med-legal report is a medical-legal evaluation of an injured worker that is performed by an independent doctor because the worker or the insurance company disagrees with the report of the treating doctor. Here, the term “treating doctor” refers to the physician who first diagnoses the worker to determine if there’s a connection between their…