New Insurance ≠ New Patient

Is billing a new patient code with new insurance really worth the risk?

Quick check:
If a patient switches insurance, can you bill them as a new patient?
A) Yes
B) No
C) It depends
👇

I still see this mistake all the time.
A patient has been with a practice for years.
They switch insurance.
The claim gets billed as a new patient… and gets paid.
Then months (or even a year or two) later —
refund request.

So how did the insurance company catch it?
Because “new patient” has nothing to do with insurance.
It’s based on whether the patient has been seen by the same provider (or specialty group) within the last 3 years.
👉 New insurance ≠ New patient
And when it’s caught…
it’s not just a denial — it’s money coming back.

This is one of the most common billing issues I help practices correct.
Are you catching this before claims go out… or after it’s too late?

AVOID COSTLY

TAKEBACKS!

Small billing mistakes don’t always get caught right away…

but when they do —

it’s refunds, audits, and lost revenue.

Are you catching these before claims go out… or finding out after it’s too late?

Let’s fix that.