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Administration and private insurance companies. The patient is
furnished a summary bill that shows separate charge categories
such as patient room charges, pharmacy, medical/surgical
supplies, and laboratory. Upon request, the patient can receive
a more detailed bill that itemizes each separate charge within
the broad categories.
The particular type of medical care provided to the patient
determines how items are listed on a summary bill. For example,
the bill often identifies charges by location, such as patient
room, operating room, recovery room, delivery room, nursery,
emergency room, or intensive care unit. The bill may also
identify charges by procedures, such as radiology, anesthesia,
nuclear medicine, various laboratory procedures (including
endoscopy, electrocardiology, echogram, electromyogram, cardiac
function, cardiac catheterization, electroencephalography,
computerized axial tomography, ultrasound, and angiocardiology),
inhalation therapy, pulmonary function, physical therapy,
hemodialysis, and occupation therapy. The detailed bill may
identify charges by the name and/or code of a particular medical
supply used in diagnosing or treating the patient.
Central supply breaks down certain medical supplies that are
received in bulk into separate "issue units". On each issue unit
it places a sticker which includes a procedure code number and a
short description of the item. When a medical supply with a
sticker is used in treating the patient, the nurse peels off the
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