Most hospitals have a good process in place to submit Medicare Indirect Medical Education (IME) shadow bills to CMS for patients registered under Medicare Advantage plans, but issues can still occur resulting in underpayment.
Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when tissues in the baby's face and mouth don't fuse properly. Normally, the tissues that make up the lip and palate fuse together in the second and third months of pregnancy. But in babies with cleft lip and cleft palate, the fusion never takes place or occurs only part way, leaving an opening (cleft). Researchers believe that most cases of cleft lip and cleft palate are caused by an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. In many babies, a definite cause isn't discovered.
Kids with cleft lip and palate will need several surgeries to fix the cleft. The cleft lip is usually repaired by the time the baby is between 3 to 6 months old. During surgery, the doctor closes the gap in the lip. A person who has cleft lip repaired as an infant will have a scar on the lip under the nose.