DPM working for MD

[PharoPod]

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I need advice from senior DPMs on the forum. I am graduating residency in a few months and have received offers for employment by MDs in the area, mostly family practice physicians with large diabetic patient base looking to keep their podiatry referrals in house.

I am not sure how the billing part would work, do I have to join their practice in order to get on insurance panels which are mostly closed in my area and hard for me to get individualy? Is it possible for a DPM to join an MD based practice?

or can the MD practice bill for our podiatric CPT codes (which may include surgery codes) and pay me as an independent contractor?

Advice much appreciated

 

[newfeet]

If you join a medical group you can join as an associate or an independent contactor. That depends on the practice make up. If you join as an associate you will be treated just like a MD associate. Depending on the state a podiatrist can be come a full partner in a multi-speciality practice.

The billing will be handled by the billing dept. The CPT codes are for all providers. There are no podiatry only CPT codes. So a MD can use the CPT codes for ingrown nails, hammer toes and bunions just like a DPM. You will be treated like any other provider in terms of billing.

The credentialing staff will fill out the paper work to get you on insurance panels and medicare.

 

[NatCh]

If that's the kind of work you desire (diabetes and wound care) and the financial package is good then it might not be a bad way to go. From the onset you would likely be treated as a specialist to be consulted for his expertise rather than as a subordinate who needs to learn a thing or two from his elders (as can happen if you join a DPM group).

A Family Practice group sees much more than diabetics so if you alert them as to what to look for (bunions, heel pain, ingrown nails, plantar warts, etc.) then you would probably see a lot of referrals for general podiatry cases.

 

[PharoPod]

A Family Practice group sees much more than diabetics so if you alert them as to what to look for (bunions, heel pain, ingrown nails, plantar warts, etc.) then you would probably see a lot of referrals for general podiatry cases.

It is actually the plan, they refer out not just Diabetics but also all the above. The plan is to keep these referrals in house, bill for these services and then cut me a piece of the collections. I was just confused on how the billing would be processed and wanted everything to be kosher. NewFeet clarified the billing issue 👍

Thanks for your contribution NatCh!