The ICD-10 transition is coming! The calendar is ticking down the days to the deadline for U.S. health care providers to transition from ICD- 9 to the 10th revision of…
Tag: Assessment & Benchmarks
Medicare Payment Overhaul – Finally!
Senate Action on the “Doc Fix” On April 14, 2015 the Senate acted on a bill from the House of Representatives to implement a Medicare payment overhaul, including repealing the…
Medical Accounts Receivable: Monitoring and Measuring Performance
One of the most common issues we confront when called to perform a physician billing department assessment, or a more broad-based medical practice analysis, is the lament: “Why aren’t we…
Three Financial Strategies for your Medical Practice that are “Like Money in the Bank”
A question recently posted on LinkedIn regarding the “Do’s, Dont’s, Thrills and Spills” of using a lockbox for payments generated a lot of comments, and got me to thinking more…
Nursing Homes and MDS 3.0 – the Winds of Change are Upon Us
Well, it’s here. MDS 3.0. A couple of years in the making, about 6 months of training made available to SNF providers, and with the tears and fears of MDS…
An Operational Analysis of Your Medical Practice is a Logical Step in the EHR Selection Process
I’m often surprised by how some medical practices are so casual in their approach to selecting an EHR system. As if the EHR selection process itself is inconsequential. And I’m bordering…
Is it Time for your Medical Practice to Opt out of Medicare?
“I opposed the budget deal in 1997 because it brought in a $115 billion cut in Medicare that created greater pressure for providers not to participate.” ~ David Obey, U.S….
Using Best Practices in Medical Billing – the Key to Surviving Economic Conditions
With the existing economic hard times, it is very critical that medical practices and facilities keep an eye on their accounts receivable. A continuous flow of claims payment will determine…
“Health Reform Bill” & New Rules About Medical Compliance
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), also referred to as the “Health Insurance Reform Bill”, is a federal statute that was signed into law by President Barack…
Efficient Operations in Your Medical Practice … Be Serious About It!
With EHR technology being implemented, Health Reform just around the corner, and Meaningful Use criteria mandated, what else can there be? How about many more coding and billing auditing agencies…
Due Diligence in EHR Selection, can it help you Preserve Physician Productivity?
There are many commentaries, and anecdotal examples, of what happens to EHR Meaningful Use criteria will outweigh the incentive payments that are available. So maybe it’s time to take a…
Beyond Benchmarks … Efficiency & Performance in Your Medical Practice
Just about a year ago I contacted the Managing Director of Health Care in the Government Accountability Office. Being a Partner in a healthcare consulting firm and spending every day…
How do the Final Rules on Meaningful Use & Certification Affect Legacy Systems?
You’re trying to decide on which EHR system to choose, and you have to decide what to do about your “Legacy” system – the existing practice management system you use…
Expect Delay in Medicare Cash Flow Affecting Physician Compensation
The good news. HR 3962 delays the 21% cut in the physician compensation based on the Medicare Physician Fee schedule until November 30, 2010, replacing it with a 2.2% increase to…
Can a REC help you find the best overall EHR? (Part 1)
So you may be thinking about starting your EHR due diligence process, and you have heard about an organization called a “REC”, or Regional Extension Center. What is a REC, and how…
Is your Medical Billing Consultant Recommending Useful Reports?
Many physicians are thirsty for meaningful reports on the status of medical billing and accounts receivable, but their staff or even their medical billing consultant does not know what types…
Does your Healthcare Billing Consultant Implement, or Just Talk?
As you think about your medical billing department, keep in mind a few core principles to manage and organize for the outcome to be “best practices“. Better management of your medical…
Does Your Healthcare Billing Consultant Recommend these Best Practices?
Here are ten simple things to check on that will help you compare your physician billing procedures to “benchmarks: Does your staff track your charge tickets to make sure they…
The CMS IPPS Dashboard – Will a tool for EHR Meaningful Use be next?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has just released a beta version of a dashboard that contains statistical views of data in the IPPS, the Inpatient Prospective Payment…
How do Medical Group Practices Prepare for Health Insurance Reform?
Strategies that medical practices should consider! Now that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has become a reality, let’s NOT talk about it! Let’s NOT give you another outline…