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This post is intended for RateFast users who want to ensure the correct digital signature appears on their report.
So you’ve completed a workers’ compensation report in RateFast. It’s ready to be officially “submitted” or signed. But whose signature is going to appear on the report?
The answer: it depends on who submits the report.
The Supervising Physician
The RateFast user who clicks the “Submit” button (or the “Submit for Rating” button) on a report is the provider whose name will appear in the signature area as a digital signature.
In other words, if you submit a report, then your name, credentials, and other details will automatically appear on the report. The end of the report will say “esigned by [your name here]”.
The user who submits or “signs” the report is called the Supervising Physician.
The Supervising Physician who signs the report is not always the same as the provider who performs the actual patient examination. Often, the Supervising Physician simply “signs off” on the work of another physician, a nurse practitioner, or a physician’s assistant.
Important Note:
The Supervising Physician may not actually be a physician. Instead, the Supervising Physician may be a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant (these are called “Level 3” users in RateFast).
However, as per California law, certain sections of the report will only be populated when the Supervising Physician is a physician. Otherwise, the insurance carrier may return reports and RFAs to your practice without payment or authorization, requesting the Primary Treating Physician’s signature. Click here to read more about the different user permissions in RateFast.
Treating Physician
The provider who primarily performs the examination and enters the patient’s exam information into the report is called the Treating Physician. The Treating Physician is set in the “Subjective Complaints” section of your report.
If the Treating Physician and the Supervising Physician are different, then both of their names will appear at the end of the report.
Example 1: When the Treating Physician and Supervising Physician Are Different
In this case, the Supervising Physician submits the report, but the Treating Physician is set on the Subjective Complaints page.
In the image below, notice how the Supervising Physician is signing for the Treating Physician.
Example 2: When the Treating Physician and Supervising Physician Are the Same
This is the simplest scenario. The provider who examines the patient is the same as the provider who reviews and signs off on the completed report.
In this case, only one name will appear on the report and other associated documentation.
Request For Authorization Forms
The information for the Supervising Physician (the provider who clicks “Submit”) appears on the RFAs, because the Supervising Physician is the person who ultimately gives approval to order a treatment.
Note: the signature fields and other parts of the RFA will only be completely populated if the user is a physician, rather than a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.
Conclusion
Still have questions? We love to help. Please contact us at info@rate-fast.com or (707) 304.5949
For further reading on related subjects, you may find these articles useful: