S2S Medical Billing Co. is a Bayonne-based billing company for physical and occupational therapy practices in Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, and the rest of Hudson County. Jennifer Noel handles billing, credentialing, authorizations, and A/R follow-up, applies Medicare's therapy rules correctly, and can meet with your team in person.
S2S is based in Bayonne. For PT and OT practices in Hudson County, Jennifer can come to your office for onboarding, a front-desk workflow review, or a working session with your staff, and handles day-to-day billing remotely through your EHR and clearinghouse.
You work directly with Jennifer, who has 15+ years in medical practice management, from the front desk to billing manager.
Medicare Therapy Rules
Physical and occupational therapy claims are denied for reasons other specialties never see. These are the rules S2S applies on every claim.
Medicare bills timed therapy codes in 15-minute units, and the 8-minute rule sets how many units you can bill based on total timed minutes. A unit needs at least 8 minutes: 8–22 total timed minutes is 1 unit, 23–37 is 2 units, and so on.
Many commercial plans follow the same method, but not all of them do, so I check each payer's policy rather than assuming.
Once a patient's therapy charges for the year pass the KX threshold (one amount for PT and speech therapy combined, a separate one for OT), claims need the KX modifier to attest that continued care is medically necessary and documented.
CMS updates the dollar amount every year, and claims above a higher threshold can be selected for targeted medical review.
Medicare requires a plan of care certified by the patient's physician or nonphysician practitioner, generally within 30 days of the first treatment, and recertified at least every 90 days or whenever the plan changes significantly.
I track certification and recertification dates so visits aren't billed without a signed plan.
Medicare requires a progress report at least once every 10 treatment days. Missing one can put every visit after it at risk, so the count is tracked alongside the plan of care.
Every therapy claim needs the right discipline modifier (GP for PT, GO for OT), and services furnished in whole or in part by a PT or OT assistant need the CQ or CO modifier, which changes how Medicare pays them.
Commercial plans, NJ FamilyCare managed care plans, and Medicare Advantage plans often cap visits per year or require authorization after an evaluation or a set number of visits. I track remaining visits and authorization dates for every patient and flag them before the visit, not after the denial.
What S2S Handles
Charge entry, claim scrubbing, submission, payment posting, denial management, and monthly reporting. See full-service billing.
Medicare, NJ FamilyCare managed care, and commercial enrollment for new clinicians and new practices, plus CAQH upkeep. See credentialing.
A methodical pass through aging claims, worked in order of timely filing deadlines. See A/R cleanup.
Questions
Yes. S2S is based in Bayonne and works with physical and occupational therapy practices throughout Hudson County, including Bayonne, Jersey City, and Hoboken.
Jennifer can meet with your team in person for onboarding and workflow reviews, and handles day-to-day billing remotely.
The 8-minute rule is Medicare's method for converting total timed treatment minutes into billable 15-minute units: a unit requires at least 8 minutes, so 8–22 minutes is 1 unit, 23–37 minutes is 2 units, and so on.
It applies to timed CPT codes such as therapeutic exercise. Some commercial payers use a different method, so each payer's policy should be checked.
The KX modifier threshold is an annual dollar amount of Medicare therapy charges per patient (one for PT and speech therapy combined, one for OT); above it, claims must carry the KX modifier to attest that continued therapy is medically necessary and documented.
CMS sets the amount each year, and claims above a higher threshold may be reviewed.
A Medicare therapy plan of care must be recertified at least every 90 days, or sooner if the plan's duration is shorter or the plan changes significantly, with the physician's or NPP's signature.
The initial certification is generally due within 30 days of the first treatment.
Yes. S2S tracks remaining visits, authorization numbers, and expiration dates for every patient and flags them before they run out.
That includes commercial plans, NJ FamilyCare managed care plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. See prior authorization.
Ongoing billing is a flat monthly retainer plus a per-claim fee, never a percentage of collections.
Credentialing is $250 per insurance, per provider, and prior authorizations are $50 each. See the pricing page.
Keep Reading
Book a free 30-minute call with Jennifer, by phone or in person in Bayonne. Bring your denials, your authorizations, and your questions.
