decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2007 Issue 10 (October)
It's OK to charge no-show fees to Medicare patients
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Article Overview
This article covers Medicare guidance on missed-appointment fees, including the requirement that a practice apply the same no-show policy to Medicare and non-Medicare patients. It is relevant to physicians, suppliers, and billing staff who manage patient scheduling, claims workflows, and practice policies. The piece also notes where this guidance appears in CMS manual and transmittal materials and gives a general tip about handling no-show entries in practice systems without exposing claim-processing details.
Why This Topic Matters
Missed-appointment billing can create compliance risk if a practice treats Medicare patients differently from other patients or routes these charges through claims incorrectly. Understanding the policy helps practices align front-office procedures, patient notices, and billing workflows with Medicare guidance.
Article Sections
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Policy guidance on missed-appointment fees
Overview of Medicare’s written guidance on charging beneficiaries for missed appointments and the requirement that policies apply consistently across patients.
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Billing and practice-policy implications
General points about how missed-appointment charges are handled in relation to Medicare claims and the need for uniform practice policies and amounts.
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System setup tip for no-shows
A brief practice-management note on recording no-shows in a way that distinguishes them from standard billing entries.
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Resources
References to CMS manual, transmittal, and MLN Matters materials associated with the guidance.
What You Will Learn
- What Medicare says about missed-appointment fees
- Why consistent no-show policies matter across payer types
- How practices may think about handling no-show entries in their systems
- Where the cited CMS guidance can be found
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Suppliers
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Practice managers
- Revenue cycle staff
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