Welcome back to the MGMA Insights Podcast. This week, Senior Editor and host Daniel Williams sits down with Dr. Tej Singh, Medical Director of Vascular Surgery at Intermountain Health, Peaks Region in Colorado. Dr. Singh, a recognized leader in healthcare billing innovation, shares his expertise on the transformative impact of time-based billing for surgeons. In this episode, Dr. Singh discusses how time-based billing helps reduce physician burnout, improve revenue cycles, and integrate AI to streamline healthcare billing and compliance. Tune in to understand why time-based billing is becoming essential for medical practices aiming to enhance billing accuracy, increase efficiency, and capture revenue for non-clinical work.Key Takeaways:Understanding Time-Based Billing: Dr. Singh explains how time-based billing captures a surgeon’s non-clinical work—such as reviewing imaging, coordinating with other physicians, and pre- and post-clinic tasks. This approach, introduced by the AMA in 2021, allows surgeons to accurately bill for these essential tasks that were traditionally uncompensated. “Time-based billing captures all the things you are doing outside of the hospital, outside of the clinic, inside the clinic, after the clinic, before the clinic, and you can get credit for that.”Reducing Physician Burnout: By enabling billing for the full scope of work, time-based billing reduces administrative burdens, or “note bloat,” allowing physicians to allocate time efficiently and avoid unnecessary documentation fatigue. As Dr. Singh emphasizes, “With EMRs, people were writing long notes, throwing things together… and whether it was relevant or not.”Increased Revenue with AI and Time-based Billing Tools: Dr. Singh and his team at Harvard are developing an AI-driven app for real-time tracking of time-based activities. The app records each non-clinical task to ensure accurate billing and mitigates “guesstimation,” which often leads to audit risks. Dr. Singh shares, “As you’re talking to your app, the AI is recording the minutes.”Enhanced Compliance and Audit Readiness: Compliance education is key in ensuring the successful adoption of time-based billing. As Dr. Singh notes, “You’ve got to do the education. That is the number one thing for following appropriate coding and billing.” He explains that well-informed providers can prevent audit risks by understanding potential pitfalls like “the impossible day,” where excessive time estimates can trigger audit flags.Future Outlook: Dr. Singh envisions widespread adoption of time-based billing, aiming to shift the current 20% of surgeons using the model toward a majority within the next few years. He highlights that time-based billing, combined with efficient tracking tools, could streamline workflows, reduce burnout, and significantly improve revenue cycles across surgical practices. He notes, “Time-based billing for the surgeon is an awareness, educational opportunity.”Resources Mentioned:Time-Based Billing App (currently in development by Dr. Singh and Harvard colleagues)Article Reference: Miksanek TJ, et al. "Association of Time-Based Billing With Evaluation and Management Revenue for Outpatient Visits," JAMA Netw Open, 2022. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.29504Additional Resources:E&M Coding Get Time-based Billing Right NCBI Article Tune In:Listen to this episode to learn practical insights into implementing time-based billing in your practice, backed by Dr. Singh’s expertise and first-hand experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore ways to enhance revenue and reduce administrative strain. If you find this episode valuable, please subscribe to the MGMA Insights Podcast and leave us a review! NHAAre you facing the challenge of healthcare workforce shortages? The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is here to help. NHA empowers individuals and organizations by offering nationally accredited certifications and innovative solutions to address critical staffing gaps. Whether you're a healthcare employer looking to upskill your team or a professional seeking advancement, NHA's comprehensive resources can provide the support you need to thrive in today’s fast-paced healthcare environment. Visit www.nhanow.com to learn how NHA can help you build a stronger, more capable workforce.AvodahMedRunning a busy medical practice? Nsight, Powered by AvodahMed, is an ambient AI transcription solution that offers unparalleled support for SOAP and clinical notes, and symptom tracking, greatly improving chart closure rates with features such as one-click functionality to send provider notes directly into EMRs and the ability to maximize revenue potential through precise E&M time complexity. Focus on your patients, not the keyboard. Visit AvodahMed.com to schedule a demo and experience the future of clinical efficiency!"
