Anaesthetists
AI-powered medical billing for anaesthetists, without lost theatre minutes
Every unbilled theatre minute is revenue you do not get back. Mobile Theatre lets South African anaesthetists chart cases live, calculates time units and modifiers automatically, and submits claims to medical schemes from your phone.
Why anaesthetic billing goes wrong
If you have ever rebuilt start and stop times from memory after a long list, you know the problem. Most practice software treats anaesthetic billing like a GP consultation: no time-based fee logic, no modifier rules, no link to the surgeon’s procedure codes.
The result is missed time units, forgotten risk modifiers and claims that come back from medical schemes weeks later. An anaesthetic account depends on the surgical procedure, so a mismatch between your codes and the surgeon’s is one of the most common reasons for rejection.
Mobile Theatre was built for this. Since 2020, the platform has combined clinical documentation, billing and practice management for private-practice anaesthetists in one app, on iOS, Android and the web.
Why Mobile Theatre works for anaesthetist billing
Live anaesthetic charts that become the bill
Record induction, airway, monitoring and drugs as you go. Mobile Theatre converts the chart into time units and modifiers, and links the case to the surgical procedure before the claim is submitted.
Specialised anaesthetic AI dictation
Dictate a pre-operative assessment or post-op note into your phone. The AI turns it into a structured record, flags risk modifiers so they are not missed, and recommends ICD-10 codes based on what you dictate.
Automatic ICD-10 and tariff coding
Codes are suggested from the procedure, your notes and the patient’s details. You review and adjust before anything is submitted.
Surgeon item number check
When you and the surgeon both use Mobile Theatre, it checks that the surgical item number on your claim matches the surgeon’s before submission. If the surgeon is on another platform, you may still need to confirm the code with them.
Smart anaesthetic billing templates
Save templates for C-sections, scopes, orthopaedic and laparoscopic cases, adjusted per surgeon, hospital and scheme. Routine cases need almost no editing.
Quotes and consent before theatre
Send patients a cost estimate, including likely co-payments, and capture digital consent in the app.
PMB motivations and co-payment follow-up
Motivation letters are generated from your notes and codes. Co-payment invoices and reminders go to patients automatically by WhatsApp, SMS or email, whichever you choose.
Real-time revenue visibility
A live dashboard shows daily earnings, unpaid accounts, per-hospital performance and outstanding medical claims at a glance. You see which accounts are paid, which are pending and where co-payments are overdue, so you do not wait until month-end to find the leakage.
POPIA-compliant by design
Records are encrypted, access is role-based and every change is logged.
How medical billing for anaesthetists works in Mobile Theatre
Capture every case in real time
Add the patient and procedure, then chart live on your phone. You can also scan hospital patient stickers to add a patient.
Let AI build the clinical note and bill
Time units, modifiers, ICD-10, consumables, PMB-related motivations and tariff codes are filled in from your chart and dictation. Check, adjust, approve.
Submit and get paid
Mobile Theatre checks medical aid eligibility, and claims go directly to the medical scheme in real time. Follow-ups on rejections and short payments run automatically, and practices on Mobile Theatre see an average claim turnaround of 2.3 days.
What makes Mobile Theatre different for anaesthetist billing
Most alternatives are generic practice management tools designed for GPs, or overseas anaesthetic billing packages that know nothing about South African tariff structures, the SASA Private Practice Coding Guidelines, or how each medical scheme sets its own reimbursement rate. Here is where Mobile Theatre stands apart:
Built around time-based anaesthetic units
The platform works from start and stop times, not appointment slots. Time units are calculated automatically from those times, so accurate time-based billing does not depend on memory. The Mobile Theatre Bureau applies the SASA Private Practice Coding Guidelines when it bills for you. If you bill yourself, the software does not apply those guidelines automatically.
Dedicated accounts manager and billing bureau option
Bill yourself with the software, or hand the whole revenue cycle to the Mobile Theatre Bureau: claim submission, reconciliation, debt collection and patient follow-up, with a dedicated accounts manager.
Find surgeons nearby and grow your list
A unique “find surgeons nearby” feature lets you discover new surgeons and lists at hospitals where you are credentialed. Growing your private practice no longer depends on word of mouth alone.
Results
Thousands of anaesthetic cases have been processed through Mobile Theatre in the last 12 months across South African hospitals, covering everything from pain relief procedures and nerve blocks to major orthopaedic and cardiothoracic surgery.
“They are exceptional. I have a dedicated accounts manager who handles all my queries promptly and efficiently. The whole team is professional and a pleasure to work with.”Emily Bezuidenhout, Verified Google review
Who our anaesthetist billing solution is for
Solo anaesthetists
Run billing from your phone without hiring admin staff.
Anaesthetic groups
Shared templates, role-based access and one view across members.
Locums
Working across several hospitals and surgeons.
Practices with in-house billers
Use Mobile Theatre to capture cases and pass clean, coded data to your team.
Pricing for anaesthetists
Mobile Theatre Bureau
Our billing team and a dedicated accounts manager handle claim submission, reconciliation, debt collection and patient follow-up, so you only pay when you get paid.
Software only (specialists)
R3,900AI dictation and SMS/WhatsApp credits are extra: you load credits on your account and only pay for the credits you load.
No long-term contract. Start with a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can I start using Mobile Theatre?
You can set up your account and first templates yourself, or the Mobile Theatre team can do it for you, and you can be up and running the same day.
Does it calculate anaesthetic time units and modifiers correctly?
Yes. It records start and stop times, converts them to time units and applies modifiers in line with South African anaesthetic coding rules. You can review and override every calculation before submission.
Can I use it if I already have a billing team?
Yes. You capture cases in the app; your billers receive complete, coded records to submit through their existing process.
Is Mobile Theatre POPIA compliant?
Yes. Patient data is encrypted, access is role-based and activity is logged.
Does it work on my phone in theatre?
Yes. The app runs on iOS and Android, and on the web for desktop use. It also works on an iPad, and offline in theatre.
How much does it cost for an anaesthetist?
The Bureau costs 4.9% of collections with no licence fee. Software only for specialists is currently R1,950 per month (limited-time price, normally R3,900) plus 1.9% of billed claims. Both exclude VAT, and there is no long-term contract. AI dictation and SMS/WhatsApp credits are extra and work on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Does it check my claim against the surgeon’s item number?
Yes, when you and the surgeon both use Mobile Theatre, it checks that the surgical item number on your claim matches the surgeon’s before the claim is submitted. If the surgeon is on another platform, you may need to confirm the code with them first.
Stop losing theatre minutes
Live capture, automatic anaesthetic coding and a clear view of every rand billed and outstanding, from your phone.