Frequently Asked Questions
Why did I get a bill, I have insurance?
The statement you received is a summary of the charges, payments received and balance due as of the date of the statement. The statement includes the insurance information we have on record for you. Please verify the insurance information and contact us immediately to report any updated insurance information we should have on record.
Has my insurance company been billed?
Yes, as a courtesy, anesthesia billing services has filed your claim with the insurance company shown on your statement. If you have corrected or additional insurance information please contact us immediately to update your account.
I have two insurance companies, were both billed?
Only one insurance company can be billed at a time. After the primary insurance either pays or denies payment, any secondary insurance on record for your account will be billed.
Has the insurance company paid on my account?
Insurance company processing time is approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
Check for updated payment information call customer service (763) 852-0400 or toll free (800) 766-4102
This is a workers compensation claim, why did you send me the bill?
This statement is a summary of the the charges, payments received and balance due. Please review the insurance submitted in the description area of the statement. If this information is incorrect or incomplete, please contact us with the new information.
Why are there two charges on my statement that look the same?
Anesthesia care is most often provided by an anesthesia care team, including an anesthesiologist (M.D.) and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). You are charged for the services of both professionals. While this may appear to be a duplicate charge, there are modifiers attached to each charge which indicate to the insurance company how the service was provided. Insurers have different ways of reimbursing in these situations and we apply their guidelines as indicated by their Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to determine appropriate allocation of payments and patient responsibility.
What is the difference between an Anesthesiologist and a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist?
Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who complete a four-year undergraduate program, four years of graduate doctoral training and four more years of anesthesiology residency.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) are registered nurses that have completed a Bachelor Science in Nursing (BSN) or other appropriate baccalaureate degree, have at least one year’s experience in an acute care nursing setting, graduated from an accredited graduate school of nurse anesthesia (these educational programs range from 24-36 months, depending upon university requirements, and offer a master’s degree, all programs include clinical training in university-based or large community hospitals), and have passed a national certification examination following graduation. CRNAs generally provide anesthesia to patients in collaboration with anesthesiologists.
Why did I receive more than one bill for anesthesia care?
Anesthesiologists typically are not employees of the care facility and bill separately for their services. CRNAs can bill separately for their services and may be employed independent of the care facility or the anesthesiologist. The facility where you received care bills for use of its anesthesia equipment, supplies and medications.
Why did you bill Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota?
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will forward your claim through their internal system to the correct state. The first three letters of your identification number route your claim to the correct state.
What types of payment are accepted?
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or personal checks are accepted.
Checks should be made payable to the provider listed in the upper left corner of your statement and mailed in the enclosed envelope. We are unable to process checks electronically.
To pay with a credit card or debit card:
Complete the upper right corner of the statement and mail it to our office
Call with your credit card information, (763) 852-0402 or toll free (800) 766-4102
Can I apply my balance to Med Credit?
If you've been approved for Med Credit with Allina, we can apply it to balances for services provided by Allina affiliated CRNAs at Buffalo Hospital, Cambridge Medical Center, District One Hospital, and St. Francis Hospital however we are unable to accept Med Credit/Care Credit credit cards. Please contact us with your Med Credit ID#.
Are my anesthesia services covered by Allina’s Partner’s Care Program?
If you are part of the Allina Partner Care program, we can apply it to balances for services provided by Allina affiliated CRNAs at Buffalo Hospital, Cambridge Medical Center, District One Hospital, and St. Francis Hospital. Please contact us with a copy of your Allina Partners Care approval letter.
Are my anesthesia services covered by Park Nicollet’s Patient Financial Assistance Program?
If you are part of the Park Nicollet Patient Financial Assistance Program, we can apply it to balances for services provided by Park Nicollet affiliated CRNAs at Methodist Hospital and TRIA. Please contact us with a copy of your Park Nicollet Patient Financial Assistance approval letter.
Are my anesthesia services covered by Senior Partner’s Care Programs? Yes, please contact us with this information. More information found on our contact page.
Can I make payment arrangements on my remaining balance due?
Yes, if your individual situation warrants special handling, please contact us to discuss your situation and set up a short-term payment plan.
Can you explain how anesthesia bills are calculated?
Typically, an anesthesia bill for services provided by an Anesthesiologist (Medical Doctor) and/or a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist), is broken into three parts. Each part is assigned a unit value.
The anesthetic procedure is first assigned a number of base units based on the complexity of the procedure. For example, an appendectomy is assigned six units while an invasive heart case is assigned 20 base units.
The amount of time the procedure requires is calculated according to time units. Billable time starts when the anesthesia provider begins preparation of the patient for anesthesia in the operating room or equivalent area, and ends when the patient is safely placed under post-anesthetic supervision and care. The amount of time assigned per unit varies throughout the United States from 6 to 15 minute increments.
Physical status and/or qualifying circumstances that affect the risk of the procedure are documented through the use of modifiers to the procedure (Common Procedural Terminology or CPT) code. Each modifier is also assigned a unit value. Modifiers such as physical status, age and emergency factors may be added to the procedure code. The total number of units is then multiplied by a conversion value to create a total charge for the procedure.
An illustration of the formula by which an anesthesia charge is calculated:
(Base units + Time units + Modifying units) x $ Conversion Factor = Anesthesia Charge
CRNAs within a given facility who are no longer employed by the facility (although most are despite recent changes in regulations allowing them more autonomy) have generally created their own group and received provider numbers with which to bill and be reimbursed for their services. In such circumstances, third party payers/patients receive three separate bills relating to the provision of anesthesia care: one for the professional services of the Anesthesiologist, a second for the professional services of the CRNA and a third from the facility for use of its anesthesia equipment, supplies and medications. CRNAs employed by an anesthesiology group can be billed separately or under a global fee, where the professional fees of the Anesthesiologist and CRNA are combined, depending on third party payer guidelines and regulations.