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229-249-9151 or 888-595-5581
2010 is here. How is your A/R looking? Is it where you want it to be? If not, call us and let us help you. Free Consulations.
Tips and Suggestion
How will your office handle the new ruling "Consultations Eliminated". Contact us and let us help you.
Is Your Patient in a Managed Care Plan?
It is extremely important that you question your patient about their Medicare coverage each time they arrive at your office for an appointment. It is important to ask them what kind of coverage they have so you can be assured that you will send their claim to the correct entity. A patient who has chosen to enroll in a Medicare Managed Care Plan will have an additional card from that plan.
CMS Proposed Changes for 2010
CMS is also proposing to stop making payment for consultation codes, which are typically billed by specialists and are paid at a higher rate than equivalent evaluation and management (E/M) services. Practitioners will use existing E/M service codes when providing these services instead. Resulting savings would be redistributed to increase payments for the existing E/M services.
CMS wants to raise reimbursement for Primary Care Providers including Family Doctors, Internists and Geriatric Medicine Specialties by 6 to 8 percent.
Not so good for Cardiologist and Radiologists fee schedule proposes cuts that reduce payment for services that require the use of expensive equipment the proposed cuts translate to an overall 11 percent.
Do you know how much of your A/R is outstanding to Insurance companies. Which ones are slow in paying? How much of your A/R is outstanding to patients?
- Have you reviewed your electronic claims payor list to see if you are sending claims electronically to everyone that accepts them through your clearinghouse? Also, you will want to verify the insurance information on the patient's insurance card with the payor information in your billing system to make sure you are sending to correct payor.
- It is time to review your patient aging and get those calls made to those that have not sent in a payment.
- Call those insurance companies and find out why they have not paid your claims.
- What is your most common denial? Is this something that can be avoided?
In this current economy, we're all being forced to maximize our time and increase our productivity like never before. To help with this daunting task, here are a few suggestions for your office.
- New copy of Patients Insurance Card
- Update Patient Information
- Verify Patient Benefits before patients are seen.
- Collect co-payments and deductibles before patients are seen.
- Authorizations received before patients appt.
- Patients sign ABN (Advanced Beneficiary notices) for services that are not covered.
If your office does not currently do these things why not start today.
