To determine what percentage of your administrative costs to assign to the ancillary service, use relative value units. For billing expenses, use percentage of claims, said Ms. Cunningham of The Health Care Group. Adding the ancillary station may require more than reallocating existing office space. People think, 'Here's a space. Maybe what's needed is to expand, or at least plan the expansion into the pro forma.
Some costs are even less obvious.
For example, you might need to retrofit a room with a lead lining for an X-ray machine, Ms. Cunningham said. Finally, consider ripple effects. You might regret converting a rarely-used exam room into an ancillary station if the ancillary service draws more patients than you can handle. Take into account federal laboratory and self-referral laws. Your best bet, if you're a small practice, is to hire a consultant to help you set up a CLIA compliance manual and procedures.