Fee Schedules

A fee schedule is a reimbursement method where the allowed amount is retrieved from a look-up table (i.e. the fee schedule). A fee schedule line consists of a number of fields that correspond to fields on the claim or claim line, such as the service code, provider.

Fee Schedules Fields

Table 1. Fee Schedules Fields
Field Description

Code

The code of the fee schedule

Description

The description of the fee schedule

Fee schedule type

The fee schedule type to which the fee schedule belongs

Modifier usage

Specifies how the modifier list is evaluated

In: When one or more of the modifiers in the list is present on the claim line

Not In: When none of the modifiers in the list are present on the claim line

Line condition

A common dynamic logic condition that is applied in the evaluation of each fee schedule line

Modifier evaluation message

The message that is attached to the claim line if the fee schedule is not applied based on the evaluation of the fee schedule modifiers

Priced message

The message that is attached to the claim line if the fee schedule is applied

Currency

The currency of the amounts in the fee schedule (all fee schedule lines in the fee schedule that specify an amount will have the same currency)

Access Restriction

Determines whether or not the access to the fee schedule is restricted

A fee schedule can specify one or more modifiers:

Fee Schedule Modifiers

Table 2. Fee Schedule Modifiers
Field Description

Fee schedule

The fee schedule to which the fee schedule modifier refers

Modifier

The modifier to which the fee schedule modifier applies

The modifier usage (in / not in) must be specified and may only be specified when the fee schedule line specifies one or more modifiers.

The following is a list of the placeholder values for the priced and modifier evaluation messages that are attached to the claim line upon applying a fee schedule:

  1. The code of the fee schedule

  2. The description of the fee schedule

  3. The provider pricing clause quantifier

  4. Modifier list (fee schedule modifiers for the modifier evaluation message; fee schedule line modifiers for the priced message)

  5. The description of the fee schedule type

A fee schedule type specifies how the fee schedule line amounts are interpreted, i.e., amount per unit or amount for all units. Some pricing rules may refer to a fee schedule type. If a fee schedule type is specified on a pricing rule then the rule is only applied if a fee schedule of that type has been applied (in combination with an 'In' usage) or has not been applied (in combination with a 'Not In' usage) to calculate the price on the claim line.

Fee Schedule Types

Table 3. Fee Schedule Types
Field Description

Code

The code of the fee schedule type

Description

The description of the fee schedule type

Calculation type

Specifies if the fee schedule applies a flat rate or an amount per unit

A fee schedule has zero, one or more fee schedule lines. A fee schedule line has either an amount or a percentage and refers to one or more procedures and/or procedure groups to which the amount/percentage applies. A fee schedule line can be particularized to one or more claim line modifiers. For provider or contract specific agreements, fee schedule lines can be particularized to a provider (individual and/or organization), provider group and/or contract reference.

Fee Schedule Lines

Field Description

Fee schedule

The fee schedule to which the line refers

Procedure

The procedure to which the fee schedule line applies

Procedure group

The procedure group to which the fee schedule line applies

Procedure 2

The second procedure to which the fee schedule line applies

Procedure group 2

The second procedure group to which the fee schedule line applies

Procedure 3

The third procedure to which the fee schedule line applies

Procedure group 3

The third procedure group to which the fee schedule line applies

Classification usage

How should the classification list be evaluated?

In: When one of the classifications in the list is present on the claim line

Not In: When none of the classifications in the list are present on the claim line

Individual provider

The individual provider to which the fee schedule line applies

Organization provider

The organization provider to which the fee schedule line applies

Provider group

The provider group to which the fee schedule line applies

Contract reference

The contract reference to which the fee schedule line applies

Amount

The amount that is applied to each allowed unit as the basis for the allowed amount

Currency

The currency of the amount (it will automatically be set to the currency that is specified on the fee schedule if an amount is specified)

Percentage

The percentage that is applied to the claimed amount of the claim line as the basis for the allowed amount

Start date

The start date of the period for which the fee schedule line will be applied

End date

The end date of the period for which the fee schedule line will be applied

Enabled?

Is the fee schedule line enabled?

Constraints:

  • Either the amount or the percentage must be specified

  • One or more procedures and/or procedure groups of a fee schedule line must be specified

  • A fee schedule line may only refer to a provider group if it does not also refer to an individual and/or organization provider

  • The classification usage must be specified when a classification list is used and may not be specified when a classification list is not used

  • Within a fee schedule, enabled lines that are functionally the same may not overlap in time validity

    • Fee schedule lines are functionally the same if they have the same:

      • Procedures

      • Procedure Groups

      • Individual Provider

      • Organization Provider

      • Provider Group

      • Contract Reference

      • Modifiers

      • Classifications and Classification Usage

      • Certain Dynamic Fields
        Which dynamic fields are part of the check is specified in the dynamic logic function with signature Fee Schedule Line Duplicity (this function returns a list of dynamic field usage names)

A fee schedule line can refer to one or more modifiers:

Fee Schedule Line Modifiers

Table 4. Fee Schedule Line Modifiers
Field Description

Fee schedule line

The fee schedule line to which the fee schedule line modifier refers

Modifier

The modifier to which the fee schedule line modifier applies

A charged amount can be linked to one or more classifications:

Fee Schedule Line Classifications

Table 5. Fee Schedule Line Classifications
Field Description

Fee schedule line

The fee schedule line to which the fee schedule line classification refers

Classification

The classification to which the fee schedule line classification applies