about Anesthesia Billing
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abeo is the nation's leading anesthesia-specific billing and practice management company. We are a trusted partner with your anesthesiologist and are here to provide you with the superior customer service and answer all your anesthesia billing questions.
Options for Paying Your Anesthesia Bill
You will receive a statement in the mail. You may submit payment by mail, over the phone, or online. Note that some anesthesia groups may not be setup to accept online payments at this time; your statement will indicate if that is an option for you.
If you are seeking financial assistance through the form of a payment plan, you must contact us at the number provided on your statement to discuss your options.
abeo's billing offices are setup by region, to better accommodate our clients and their patients. This is why you need to refer to your statement for the appropriate contact information to discuss questions or payment of your anesthesia bill.
Understanding How Anesthesia is Billed
Anesthesia services are calculated based on the following criteria: difficulty of the procedure, time, and other modifying factors such as, health of the patient. Calculating anesthesia charges also includes a cost specific to a particular location.
Generally the formula for calculating anethesia charges looks like this:
(Base units + Time units + Modifying units) x Conversion factor = Anesthesia charge
Base Units = Each anesthesia procedure has an assigned code and each code has a base unti value. The base unit value is reflective of the difficulty and skill required for the procedure. The higher the difficulty, the higher the base units will be. Base units are constant and do not change.
Time Units = Each anesthesia procedure takes a certain amount of time. Time is typically 15 minutes in length, but may be 10-12 minutes depending on the location. If an anesthesia procedure takes 45 minutes, using a 15-minute time unit, this would equal 3 time units to be included in the anesthesia calculation formula.
Modifying Unit = A modifying unit accounts for special conditions that affect the anesthesia plan and procedure. Modifying factors may include a patient's physical health or emergency situations.
Conversion Factor = This is cost that has been assigned to each unit and are specific to the location of the anesthesia provider/administrator. This cost will vary across the United States.
Total Anesthesia Charge = Once you have added the total number of units together it is multiplied by the conversion factor and the total anesthesia charge is calculated.
Anesthesiologists and CRNAs are not employed by the facilities where patients receive anesthesia services. Your bill for anesthesia services will arrive separately from the hospital or facility bill where your surgery took place. It is possible to have surgery at an in-network facility but have an anesthesiologist or CRNA that is not part of your network. This is an important thing to ask ahead of time so you can plan ahead and know what to expect.
