How many units are you billing per month?

[garygetthecar]

I am considering a job that bills approximately 1100 units/month, excluding modifiers and procedures. Is this a typical way to express the amount of billing being done? Can anyone provide some insight into what this translates into in terms of hours/week?

Thanks!

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[IlDestriero]

Why don't you just ask them their average hours. It's not a trade secret. You're not lazy because you want to know when you can expect to get out. I'd rather work quickly and efficiently and go home early. I'm not lazy.
One of our fellows asked basic questions about a job's salary. Several partners were evasive so he stopped asking. This was after being thoroughly screened in a phone interview. He's had experience as well prior to fellowship. I told him that's not a good sign, and to nail it down precisely if he gets an offer. They said something like "the pay is great" "competitive" "over $300" etc. A few years ago I had one group not want to tell me the basic nature of the job. They just wanted my letters, CV, background check, etc. The lady didn't understand why I didn't want to apply without first getting the details. (and I don't mean salary and vaca, but basics about the job like case mix and what % peds cases, cardiac, etc). She kept saying that they'll call you if they're interested. She couldn't understand that I might not be interested. Maybe they get a hundred applicants? If you can't give me that info on the phone, I'm not wasting my time with an interview. Some groups are very strange.

 

[garygetthecar]

I did ask them their hours: 40-50/week was the quote. However, I wanted to look at it from the perspective of units billed to "verify" what I was being told.

 

[deleted126335]

I did ask them their hours: 40-50/week was the quote. However, I wanted to look at it from the perspective of units billed to "verify" what I was being told.

Don't forget that an inefficient OR can lengthen your day quite a bit for the same number of units billed.

 

[Mman]

I did ask them their hours: 40-50/week was the quote. However, I wanted to look at it from the perspective of units billed to "verify" what I was being told.

There's a lot more going into it than "units billed" that you should worry about.

Do they employ the CRNAs directly? If so, they are billing for the MD and the CRNA charge, but then have to pay salary to the CRNA. Is it MD only?

Does the hospital provide them with a subsidy to offset some of their costs or to entice people to work in a less than desireable location?

Does the group have pain physicians as well and is the pain practice a part of the anesthesia practice in terms of reimbursement? In other words, is all the money going in one pot and then split equally? Or do you just get paid what you generate?

You could ask for a total units billed per year by the group, along with knowledge of how they employ or work with CRNAs, and relative case mix and take a pretty good guess at what sort of income they are generating per year per physician.

 

[sevo85288]

mgma solo physician bills around 12,000/year. (it is not clear if that includes modifiers or not)
1100 per month is a busy practice.

Good luck.

There's a lot more going into it than "units billed" that you should worry about.

Do they employ the CRNAs directly? If so, they are billing for the MD and the CRNA charge, but then have to pay salary to the CRNA. Is it MD only?

Does the hospital provide them with a subsidy to offset some of their costs or to entice people to work in a less than desireable location?

Does the group have pain physicians as well and is the pain practice a part of the anesthesia practice in terms of reimbursement? In other words, is all the money going in one pot and then split equally? Or do you just get paid what you generate?

You could ask for a total units billed per year by the group, along with knowledge of how they employ or work with CRNAs, and relative case mix and take a pretty good guess at what sort of income they are generating per year per physician.

 

[garygetthecar]

"There's a lot more going into it than "units billed" that you should worry about.

Do they employ the CRNAs directly? If so, they are billing for the MD and the CRNA charge, but then have to pay salary to the CRNA. Is it MD only?

Does the hospital provide them with a subsidy to offset some of their costs or to entice people to work in a less than desireable location?

Does the group have pain physicians as well and is the pain practice a part of the anesthesia practice in terms of reimbursement? In other words, is all the money going in one pot and then split equally? Or do you just get paid what you generate?

You could ask for a total units billed per year by the group, along with knowledge of how they employ or work with CRNAs, and relative case mix and take a pretty good guess at what sort of income they are generating per year per physician."

It's an all-MD practice--no CRNAs.

The billing is "eat what you kill": no pooled units. Average unit value is $35.

No pain physicians involved. You do cardiac, gyn, general, spine, healthy peds (occ.), ortho. No OB or trauma.

Weekday first call stiped is $250 (as is cards call); weekend 24-hour shifts and legal holidays are $500.

 

[kmurp]

Well. 1100 units times 12 months is 13,200 units per year. In an all MD practice, with each MD working 46/52 weeks (.88) each anesthetizing location would need to produce 1.12 * 13,200 = 14,784 units per location. That is indeed quite busy (especially considering little OB epidurals) and way way above MGMA median units per room.
At $35/ unit (which is sorta low) and in an all MD practice, that type of volume is kinda required, depending on your income goals. If only our rooms were this busy. We are at maybe around 11,000-11,500 units per room.

 

[urge]

Well. 1100 units times 12 months is 13,200 units per year. In an all MD practice, with each MD working 46/52 weeks (.88) each anesthetizing location would need to produce 1.12 * 13,200 = 14,784 units per location. That is indeed quite busy (especially considering little OB epidurals) and way way above MGMA median units per room.
At $35/ unit (which is sorta low) and in an all MD practice, that type of volume is kinda required, depending on your income goals. If only our rooms were this busy. We are at maybe around 11,000-11,500 units per room.

My interpretation of 1100 u /month was 1100 u month when you are working. 0 u /mo when you are on vacation. Seems average for a big city group.

Boondock anesthesiologists work half of that.

 

[kmurp]

My interpretation of 1100 u /month was 1100 u month when you are working. 0 u /mo when you are on vacation. Seems average for a big city group.

Boondock anesthesiologists work half of that.

I agree with what you said but still, for the room, the numbers work out to more than 14,000 units per year as someone else has to staff this room when there is a vacation.