Difference between HME & DME Billing Services
If
you are not completely familiar with medical billing services, you may think why codes
for both the durable medical equipment (DME) and home medical equipment (HME)
are present.
Are
they different?
As
the two terms suggest, the purpose of them to the rigorous requirements along
with them, you need to understand how insurance views these billing codes and
why they mean important for your claims.
Durable
medical equipment is the item needed to support a medical need. DMEs include
ambulatory aids, oxygen tanks, special hospital beds, wheelchairs, special
commodes, compressors, and more. Most health insurance companies along with
Medicare define these as DME benefits, particularly when a doctor suggests an
absolute medical necessity for using any of these items.
One
of the important aspects of DME billing is that even if the item is mentioned
as DME, prescribing such items comes under HME billing, as they belong to a
home medical equipment service they are being used as. This is mainly due to
the provision of home-based medical equipment services is never thought about
as a one-dimensional thing. Although, these services are multidimensional as
the patients needing such DME services have to deliver these items to their
homes.
DME Billing: In DME or durable medical equipment billing, a home assessment is
necessary to make sure that the appropriate safety requirements are followed in
the particular home for any suggested item before it can be delivered or
installed, according to the case. Some of the home equipment billing
companies consider if the equipment has been set up by the people trained
to do so.
DME billing companies also insist on the recipients following all the instructions
that explain the usage and operation and maintenance. If they encounter any
operational failure, they have to seek help to set things right. Appropriate
instructions also need to be set up for users/attendants on how to monitor and
report changes in the medical conditions of the patients, and expert aid in
verifying if the particular DME is covered by insurance.
Practices
also need to check for durable medical equipment billing companies
if there is around-the-clock help available in case of any emergency popping
up, particularly when there are holidays or after office hours. The DME billing services agencies also need to be prepared
to assist the patients when challenges with reimbursement occur due to the
insurance carriers and promote these issues on their behalf to resolve issues.
In case the purchase is not complete, the DME items need to be retrieved from
the patients’ homes, which also is a considerable part of DME services.
HME Billing: When you want to deeply understand home medical equipment
(HME), the providers need to make sure to hire and train the expert staff with
insurance coverage provided by carriers for all DME items. DME billing
services include are in communication with medical professionals and they
need to stay in touch with the ailing patients along with the paramedical
health experts. The HME billing companies have to make sure that
accurate instructions for operations and maintenance of DME items are given.
A
part of home medical equipment services providers is checking if appropriate
sanitation and reconditioning of returned DME items were in place and if safe
transportation practices (vehicles) and maintenance processes were practiced.
The HME billing companies need to take care of the 24/7 service was provided to
the patients at their homes. FDA
licensure for HME is an important part that needs to be met. HME service
providers on their side may be handling practices in various locations. They
have to focus on inventory, staff, along with taking care of logistics and
establish communication procedures in place.
While
about just 20 to 25 years back, HME services were handled by delivery
technicians and respiratory therapists in a few circumstances, the services
today have reached another level of sophistication, due to technological
advancements.
Today,
highly trained clinicians with multidisciplinary backgrounds such as
pharmacists, nurses, diabetic counselors, physical therapists, dieticians,
respiratory therapists, and more are working with HME service providers.
Because of this, HME billing services have become a specialized domain;
hence most providers prefer to outsource home medical equipment
billing to vendors with skilled and experienced staff to take care
of the billing.
We
are 24/7 Medical Billing Services, an independent medical billing service provider with a huge clientele in durable
medical billing and home medical equipment providers.
About
24/7 Medical Billing Services:
We
are a medical billing company that offers ‘24/7
Medical Billing Services’ and support physicians, hospitals, medical
institutions and group practices with our end to end medical billing solutions.
We help you earn more revenue with our quick and affordable services. Our
customized Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) solutions allow physicians to attract
additional revenue and reduce administrative burden or losses.
Contact:
24/7
Medical Billing Services
Tel:
+1 888-502-0537
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