MAXIMIZING CLINICAL REVENUES OF PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION-LIAISON SERVICES - AN ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

Clinical revenues rarely suffice to support an academic psychiatric co nsultation-liaison (C-L) service. Nonetheless, the revenue provides a major source of financial support. The authors describe ten steps that can help maximize the financial return from the C-L service's clinica l efforts. The steps range from establishing a reasonable fee schedule and creating an efficient charge document, through educating resident s and faculty physicians about documentation requirements, to billing quickly and insisting on meaningful monthly reports from the faculty p ractice plan. A number of ''magic phrases '' (proper and key wording f or reimbursement) are described in detail that can markedly reduce doc umentation requirements.