Even if you have decided not to deal with insurance companies, you may have a client ask you for a “Super Bill” so they can submit on their behalf for reimbursement.
A Super Bill is much more than just a receipt or a standard invoice you might see or use on a regular basis. Insurance companies require specific information in order to consider requests for reimbursement or requests that your charges be counted toward your client’s deductible.
Super Bills should include:
- Your (the provider’s) Name & Credentials
- Your office address
- Your federal tax ID number (if you don’t have one of these you’ll have to give them your social security number)
- The date(s) of service
- The CPT code(s) (of the type of service you provide — for example, 90801 for Initial Assessment or 90806 for 50-minute follow up therapy visit)
- The ICD-9 or DSM codes for the diagnosis
- The fee for service
You might want to set up a template on your computer so they are at your fingertips and you can fill them out quickly for your client.
Clearly there is sensitive information on the Super Bill (You really want to get a tax ID number now don’t you?), but it is a must for any client who has to submit these bills to their insurance company for any reason.
There you have it…
Deb Legge
Thanks for the great post Dr. Legge. One question, if I am listing the FEE per session, am I required to list what the patient actually paid for that session, or can I list a number of sessions on the SuperBill with the associated fees and then have a total paid at the bottom?
@Wilson: Usually companies will accept a Super Bill with more than one date of service as long as you note the CPT code and fee for each session. You can then note the total paid at the bottom.
Hi Deb,
I just started going through your Boot Camp material and I’m finding it very helpful. I saw this post and have a question about the Super Bill. If my client pays me my fee and I give them a Super Bill to turn into their insurance company (Insurance Company A) — do I have to be on panel with Insurance Company A for the client to be reimbursed? Or, is there typically a different level of reimbursement to the client if I’m on panel with them versus not being on panel? That’s one thing about the Super Bill that I’m unclear on — thanks and hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!
Hi Elizabeth. The super bill is for any client to turn into their insurance company. Whether or not they get reimbursed is based on their insurance coverage. You do not have to be on panel with that insurance company (if you were, you would be billing them direct and not giving your client a super bill). If insurance companies provide out of network benefits, the reimbursement rates are often different (higher) than they pay paneled providers. That being said, you give your client the super bill for the amount you collected from them. It is just the paperwork they need to apply for reimbursement from their insurance. Hope that helps!
Crystal clear and very helpful -as always….thanks!