Who is responsible for billing if a patient is seen in the hospital by a Non-Physician Provider (NPP) and the physician reviews the chart?

In scenarios where a patient is seen in the hospital by a Non-Physician Provider (NPP), the responsibility for billing typically lies with the NPP. This is because the NPP is the one who directly delivers the care and services to the patient. When billing for services, it is crucial to identify the provider who performed the services that are being billed.

Although a physician may review the chart and provide oversight, the actual service that the patient received was provided by the NPP. This distinction is important because billing must align with the provider who was actively involved in the patient's care. The physician's review could be part of an evaluation and management (E/M) service, but if the NPP's services were the primary focus, it is the NPP's credentials and provider number that will be used for billing those specific services.

In summary, because the NPP is the one delivering care, they are responsible for billing in this context. This reflects the principles of proper assignment of responsibility in healthcare billing, where roles and contributions of various providers must be clearly delineated.