Ancillary care refers to the wide range of healthcare services provided to support the work of a primary physician. These services can be classified into three categories: diagnostic, therapeutic, and custodial. Diagnostic services include laboratory tests, radiology, genetic testing, diagnostic imaging, and more. Therapeutic services range from rehabilitation to physical and occupational therapy, as well as massage, chiropractic services, and speech therapy. Custodial services include everything from hospice care and long-term acute care to nursing facilities and urgent care.
In the medical world, ancillary services are supportive or diagnostic measures a physician may use to help treat patients. During a hospital stay, for instance, anything that does not include room and board or direct care by a physician or nurse is ancillary. Laboratory tests, X-rays, ultrasounds or services such as physical therapy all fall under this umbrella. An ancillary coder first identifies the patient's diagnosis and then matches the treatments or diagnostic studies ordered by his physician with the appropriate code. A typical workday for an ancillary coder requires extensive knowledge of medical terminology and excellent analytical skills.
To ensure optimal insurance coverage, ancillary coders spend much of their day matching the severity of a patient’s diagnosis with the appropriate treatment codes. A patient may, for instance, have elevated blood pressure during an office visit but no formal diagnosis of hypertension. In this case, laboratory studies may differ in code from those the patient would receive if he has been hypertensive for years. Or, if a patient is having problems with severe asthma, his physician will likely order more intensive diagnostic studies than she would for someone with only mild asthma. If the ancillary coder matches a high-level evaluation code with a mild asthma code, the patient's insurance company will at least review and may even deny coverage for the evaluation
Ancillary services are medical services or supplies that are not provided by acute care hospitals, doctors or health care professionals. Examples of ancillary services include:
- Ambulance services
- Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) services
- Audiology services
- Behavioral health services (inpatient and outpatient)
- Cardiac monitoring
- Dialysis services
- Durable medical equipment (DME)
- Hearing services
- Home health care services
- Home infusion therapy services
- Hospice care services
- Laboratory services
- Medical day care (adult and pediatric)
- Mobile diagnostic services
- Orthotics and prosthetics
- Personal care assistant services
- Private duty nursing
- Radiology/diagnostic imaging
- Rehabilitation services (inpatient and outpatient)
- Skilled nursing services
- Sleep laboratory services
- Speech services
- Substance-abuse services (inpatient and outpatient)
- Ventilator services
- Wound-care services
