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Medicare RA Analysis

When a practice receives an RA from a carrier, the payment received for each procedure is posted to each patients account. If any patients on the RA have secondary coverage, secondary claims are then prepared unless they have automatically crossed from the primary to the secondary payer. Before doing so, however, the practice analyzes the RA to make sure the payments received are in keeping with what is expected given the offices fee schedule, the patients insurance plan, and any deductibles or copayments that may be required from the patient.

In Claim Case Study 16.3, an RA is received from Medicare Nationwide. The first page of the RA shown in Figure 16.3 contains claim information for four patients who have secondary insurance plans. (The primary claim for each of these patients was created in Chapter 15.) Answer the following questions based on the information in the RA before preparing the patients secondary claims.

1. As of October 15, 2029, how many patients on the RA have paid their Medicare Part B deductible for 2029 in full?

2. Have any of the patients been denied payment for a claim?

3. How do fees charged by Valley Associates, PC, compare with the Medicare-approved amounts on the claim?

4. How much of the allowed amount for procedure 99204 is Joseph Zylerberg responsible for? What percentage of this will his secondary plan pay, assuming that he pays the $15 copay for the visit?

5. Donald Aiken is responsible for how much of the allowed amount for procedure 36415? How much of this will his secondary plan pay?

6. Notice that the PT RESP amount is shown for each person on the claim. Should you bill the patients for these amounts now?

7. Notice that Wilma Estephans PT RESP amount is $8.40 for a $14.00 procedure. How much of this amount represents her coinsurance responsibility? Does any of it represent her deductible?

8. The allowed amount for procedure 99211 on Wilma Estephans claim is $14.00. Normally, Medicare pays 80 percent of the allowed amount, which, in this case, would be $11.20. Why has Medicare paid only $5.60?

9. Using the following figures taken from the PT RESP field on the RA, estimate how much you think each secondary payer will pay. Note the following:

> Joseph Zylerbergs Medicaid plan has a $15 copay. > Wilma Estephans AARP plan does not cover her Medicare Part B deductible.

Patient Patient Resp.on Primary Claim Estimated Amount From Secondary Payer

Zylerberg, J. 26.40 Medicaid

Lankhaar, N. 5.60 AARP

Aiken, D. 17.20 AARP

Estephan, W. 8.40 AARP