By: Kevin Cook IT Administrator, HealthCARE Express When you first decided to open your Medical Practice business, I bet the question, “Which phone system do I need?” didn’t even make the top 10 list of things to worry about. I know it’s a boring topic. Let’s face it, everybody has a telephone, every business has lots of them, so really, phone systems aren’t difficult. Or are they? Choosing the right phone system and deciphering through all the options can be overwhelming if you don’t have a technology background. Yet the decisions you make regarding…

By: Pam Reyonolds, R.N. Do you know how many patients your clinic sees from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays? Do you know which hour of which day of the week you see the most patients? Do you know what percentage of your revenue is spent on nursing staff each day? If your answer to these questions is yes, have you trended them over time, analyzed the numbers, and used the information to make your clinic more profitable? When we opened our first Medical Practice seven years ago, we didn’t know these numbers would be important. We didn’t realize there would be big fluctuations in…

By: Candice Smith Director of HealthCARE Express Billing Medical billing all comes down to a series of codes. Deciphering thru the codes can be mind boggling. Some of the easiest questions you ask divulge answers that make them more complex than you thought. One such question is, “Can an Medical Practice bill for continued care and follow-ups?” In most cases, the answer is no. However, there are things you can bill for associated with follow-up visits. Just remember what you will be reimbursed varies by the individual payers and their reimbursement policies in your negotiated…

By: Tim Reynolds, M.D. There are many things that may limit or allow your Medical Practice business to grow. One of those things is how effectively you build a team that oversees day-to-day operations and helps plan and work towards your organizational success. Over the last seven years I have been fortunate enough to build a successful team to run all my businesses. But it didn’t happen over night. Step 1: Realize You Need a Team One of the hardest parts about growing a business you’ve started is realizing you can’t do it all. When you first opened your Medical Practice, it…

By: Kevin Cook IT Director, HealthCARE Express You need to urgently speak to someone about an issue you need resolved. You pick up the phone and a friendly pre-recorded message greets you. A plethora of “push 1 for this” and “push 2 for that” options continue, and you’re so frustrated, that before you know it, you just push 0 in hopes of reaching a real human. Congratulations, you’ve officially been annoyed by the phone’s auto attendant system. No doubt, as your Medical Practice has become busier, you’ve asked yourself more than once…

On Thursday, October 25, from 1:30-3:00 pm ET, CMS will host the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) National Provider Call: Preparing Physicians for ICD-10 Implementation. How to Participate To receive dial in information, you must register for the call on the CMS Upcoming National Provider Calls registration website. Registration will close at 12 pm on October 25 or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please register early. Prior to the call, the presentation will be posted on the FFS National Provider Calls web page. Additionally, all registered participants…

By: Tina Bell Director of Marketing, HealthCARE Express When I first moved to the town I now call home six years ago, I didn’t have a doctor. In fact, I didn’t even know where to begin to go if a cold bug bit me that fall. But I knew there was a pharmacy in town on College Drive because I saw their cute little Urkle-Style car proudly displaying their logo as it zipped around town. The only other doctor I knew about was a podiatrist, whose fun yellow convertible with its Austin Power’s design, proudly displaying his logo, was also driven all over town. Later that fall I…

As you begin planning for 2013, set up a budget and timeline for upcoming ICD-10 transition activities. You will want to be sure you continue to plan to ensure a smooth transition to meet the October 1, 2014, deadline. If you are already talking to software vendors about installing a certified electronic health record (EHR) system to qualify for the EHR Incentive Programs, make sure your system will accommodate ICD-10 codes, too. If you have not yet selected an EHR system, be sure to discuss the ICD-10 transition with your vendor. Here are some questions to ask your vendor: • Will the system…

By: Candice Smith Your billing staff can make or break the cash flow and revenue of your facilities. So it probably goes without saying that hiring the right people for your billing team is very important. There are three easy steps I recommend for Medical Practice owners who want to keep their billing in-house. Step 1: Analyze Your Volume Before you know how many billers, coders, and patient account employees you need to hire, you need to know how many patients you are seeing at each of your clinics. Once you have those volumes, you can use these guidelines for determining the number of…

The deadline for the Version 5010 upgrade was January 1, 2012, and the enforcement discretion period for all HIPAA-covered entities to complete their upgrade to the Version 5010 electronic standards ends on June 30, 2012. The Version 5010 transaction standards have different requirements than those of Version 4010 and 4010A. There are a few things to keep in mind for processing your Version 5010 claims, which should help avoid unnecessary rejections: ZIP Code: You need to include a complete 9-digit ZIP code for the billing provider and service facility location. You should work with your…