Skill Tech DX provides a dynamic, turn-key diagnostic service to the Chiropractic community. Diagnostics play a valuable role in treating patients. We understand that practicing medicine in today’s ever-changing marketplace can be erratic and confusing; and Health Insurance companies, for most practices, are not only the main source of income but are also the main source of frustration. By incorporating state-of-the-art diagnostics into your practice you will provide inarguable evidence about your patient’s condition, which in turn, will help justify further COVERED visits/treatments to the insurance carrier.
Services include:
- On-site Diagnostic testing
- Electro-diagnostics (NCV/ EMG performed and interpreted by a Physiatrist/ technician assist)
- Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
- Vascular Ultrasound (color Doppler- flow studies)
- Abdominal, Pelvic, Thyroid, and Echo Ultrasounds
Benefits include:
- Minimally invasive (EMG)
- Patient Convenience (all tests are done in the comfort of your own office.)
- High Reimbursements
- We offer Board Certified, Interpreting Physicians to provide patient’s findings.
- Pre-authorization and Pre-verification of your patients.
Our technicians are trained on the most technologically advanced equipment. They travel to your facility to perform all testing to ensure a convenient and familiar environment for your patients. All of our physicians hold extensive experience in their fields and are available to travel to your facility to do EMGs. They are dedicated to accurate and timely interpretations so that you can provide the best patient care possible.
The billing for these studies is done in two parts. There is the technical component, which is the portion of the study that your clinic will bill for and the professional component our medical group will bill for. We will supply you with sample HCFA forms that will display the exact CPT codes and number of units used in billing for these studies accurately.
The average reimbursement for a complete NCV study is: $100.00
The average reimbursement for a complete Musculoskeletal Ultrasound is: $200.00
The average reimbursement for Vascular Ultrasound is :$100.00
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The advantages described are only a portion of what Skill Tech DX offers its clients. Maximizing convenience, while minimizing effort on behalf of yourself, your staff and your patients are two hallmarks of our program that we take great pride in.
Indications & Information on Diagnostic Testing
Nerve Conduction (NCV) & Evoked Potentials
NCV studies are a non-invasive way of recording and studying the electrical activity of the brain and nervous system. Using surface electrodes with the stimulation of various key nerves, NCV evaluates action potentials of the peripheral nerves and evaluates their ensuing velocities for abnormality. It can identify peripheral nerve dysfunction and measure the intensity of the conduction through the nerves pathway. SSEP studies evaluate the sensory nervous system by studying the functioning of the spinal cord and the nerves in the limbs. DEP studies test areas that are supplied with nerve fibers by one single nerve root. These studies can document injury and help substantiate further treatment.
Indications/Symptoms for Neurodiagnostic Testing
| Carpal/Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome | Entrapment Neuropathy |
| Wrist/Foot Drop | Burning, Numbness, Tingling |
| Brachial Plexus Injury/Irritation | Sensory Loss of Extremities |
| Weakness of Extremities | Thoracic Outlet Syndrome |
| Radiculitis and Radiculopathy | Spinal Trauma |
| Extremity Pain | Lumbosacral Plexus |
| Radiating Pain | Myelopathy |
| Muscle Atrophy/ Cramping | Headaches, Dizziness, Vertigo |
| Neuropathy and Nerve Root Irritation |
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSK)
MSK is a non-invasive study that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the body and provides information about the overall morphology of body structures. This test is helpful in differentiating soft tissues and can also show inflammation in the spine, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Indications/Symptoms for Musculoskeletal Diagnostic Ultrasound Testing
| Cervical and Lumbar pain | Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis |
| Lumbosacral Plexus | Muscle Atrophy |
| Muscle Cramping | Myositis Ossifications |
| Brachial Injury/Irritation | Tendonitis, Bursitis, Tears, Lesions |
| Weakness of Extremities | Fibrous Scars |
Vascular Examinations (VAS)
Doppler Ultrasound Duplex Venous combine Doppler ultrasound and B-mode imaging to maximize the anatomic and physiological information regarding the deep veins in the upper and lower extremities, including the major axial deep veins in the lower leg and the intramuscular veins. Ultrasound characteristics may imply an acute versus chronic process. This exam has replaced venography as the standards for detection of deep thrombosis.
Color Flow Doppler Scanning (Velocity & Flow) adds Doppler information encoded as color-flow to the conventional duplex scan to survey the arteries throughout their course. This test is reserved for those patients being evaluated for an invasive interventional procedure (laser, angioplasty, or surgery). It can identify all lesions as stenosis or occlusions, estimate the percentage of diameter reduction and determine the length of the lesion. In cases where the angiography is contraindicated, color-flow scanning has been used at many hospitals in lieu of angiography for planning the surgical approach. Postoperatively, this test is also used to monitor bypass grafts for detection of conditions heralding impending graft failure so that appropriate intervention is taken prior to thrombosis.
Noninvasive Peripheral Venous & Arterial Evaluation Testing allows diagnosis and evaluation of deep and superficial venous thrombosis and valvular insufficiency. These procedures are rapid, repeatable and cost effective.
Peripheral Vascular Studies is an arterial evaluation that can document the presence of disease, determine its functional severity, localize the site of involvement, define the lesion as a stenosis or occlusion, measure its length and provide baseline information for future comparisons. When musculoskeletal system disease is also present, the evaluation will determine the contribution of arterial insufficiency, to the patient’s symptoms.
Indications/Symptoms for Vascular Testing
| Cold or Painful Toes | Symptomatic Varicose Veins |
| Red or Blue Toes | Heavy Legs (pt complaint, not visual) |
| Thickening Toe Nails | Edematous Legs |
| Hair Loss on Digits and/or Limb | Chronic Leg Pain and Tiredness |
| Limb Pain during Exercise (Walking) | Acute Leg Pain with Heat and Edema |
| Limb Pain at Rest | Vertigo |
| Ischemic Ulcers | Syncope |
| Gangrene | Amaurosis |
| Male Impotency | Migraine Headache |
Additional Benefits of Diagnostic Testing Include
- Supporting documentation for all legal cases
- Substantiate continued treatment to insurance companies
- Localizing an area of injury and assessing its severity
- To verify the effectiveness of the treatment program
- Negative X-rays, CT-scan, MRI, EMG with patient complaints persisting
- If patient is not responding to treatment as expected
- Non-resolving, radicular pain
- Determination of nerve irritation
- Rule out nerve, root, and spinal cord compressions
- Real vs. Imagined Pain
- Avoid turning patient towards Allopathic System of Care
- When the patient’s subjective complaints don’t support the objective findings
- Patients adhere to their treatment plan on a regular basis
Profitability
Because you are leasing the equipment you are eligible to collect the technical component of the insurance reimbursement. By diversifying your practice and offering the most complete and comprehensive diagnostic testing available you will create treatment programs that your patients will adhere to.
Insurance Coverage Protocols
Because these diagnostic studies are so valuable to the treatment and care of your patients, most insurance companies cover the costs of these tests. There are three types of patients that you can expect to be reimbursed on. Those are:
- Private insurance (no HMO’s)
- Workers’ Compensation
- Personal injury (with Med-pay)
In order to create a solid billing structure and minimize the number of denials, it is very important that our office receives all patient information 7 days prior to the regularly scheduled test date. All your office needs to do is fax us your patient information sheets along with the DX Consultant/ Referral Form. Our billing department will pre-authorize your workers’ comp and personal injury patients as well as confirm coverage on all your private insurance patients.
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