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As I've mentioned before, my "customers" are clients: doctors' offices, nursing homes, and hospitals that I call to get patient information for the purpose of billing for the labwork we've performed. I just had a 
moment. I had to call a nursing home, a client I call all the time, regarding a patient we did labwork for at the end of February.
The nurse came on the line and said, "This patient is deceased as of yesterday." I said that I was sorry to hear that, but I still have to bill Medicare. "I'm not really sure what you want," she said (keeping in mind I call all the time, and even talk to this particular nurse all the time). So I had to spell it out rather simply: he was alive when we did the labwork, and Medicare requires a diagnosis before they will pay.
I'm still surprised by how often I have to explain this, even when the patient is still among the living.
moment. I had to call a nursing home, a client I call all the time, regarding a patient we did labwork for at the end of February.The nurse came on the line and said, "This patient is deceased as of yesterday." I said that I was sorry to hear that, but I still have to bill Medicare. "I'm not really sure what you want," she said (keeping in mind I call all the time, and even talk to this particular nurse all the time). So I had to spell it out rather simply: he was alive when we did the labwork, and Medicare requires a diagnosis before they will pay.
I'm still surprised by how often I have to explain this, even when the patient is still among the living.