Which medical staff members are allowed to perform incident-to services?

Incident-to services refer to certain services provided by auxiliary personnel as a part of a physician's or specific types of healthcare providers' services, which are commonly billed under the established provider's Medicare number. The term "incident-to" emphasizes that these services are rendered under the physician's supervision and are an integral part of the patient's care initiated by the physician.

Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are specifically trained and licensed to provide medical care and can independently perform a wide range of healthcare services. Their training includes a focus on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, making them qualified to deliver the type of services that fall under the incident-to classification. In this context, they can provide care that is considered an extension of the physician's services, thus allowing billing for these services under the physician's Medicare billing framework.

Other medical staff roles, such as registered nurses and medical assistants, may contribute valuable support in clinical settings, but they do not possess the same level of authority or training to independently bill for incident-to services under Medicare guidelines. Health care administrators, on the other hand, typically focus on the operational aspect of healthcare facilities and do not provide direct patient care, which eliminates them from performing incident-to services altogether.