Billing and Compliance for Radiology Extenders

Radiologists and hospitals frequently employ physician extenders, non-physician professionals who assist the radiologist and perform certain imaging services independently. These professionals may have a variety of different credentials, including a Radiology Practitioner Assistant (RPA), Registered Radiologist Assistant (RRA), Physician Assistant (PA), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and others. This session will briefly discuss the differences among the various credentials in terms of training and education. Then we will review in depth the Medicare requirements for non-physician practitioner billing and for “incident-to” billing, including the types of professionals to which these concepts apply; the limitations and restrictions on place of service, type of service, etc.; and the type of physician supervision required. Examples will be provided of billable and non-billable services performed by the various types of professionals in the hospital and non-hospital setting (imaging center, private office).

Learning Objectives: 

• Review the Medicare supervision and billing requirements for radiology extenders.
• Discuss the concept of “incident-to” services and the requirements for billing for those services.
• Provide examples of billable non-physician services in the hospital and office or imaging center setting.

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.