Medical Billers and Coders

  Physician Credentialing Physician credentialing is the process of organizing and verifying the professional records that qualify a doctor to practice medicine. As physicians, despite your reputation for benchmarked medical services, you could be losing out when it comes to realizing medical bills reimbursed fully by respective health insurance carriers. And when you start to analyze that elusive reason responsible for hampering your reimbursements, you invariably end up discovering ‘Credentialing’ as the chief culprit. Quite a contrast to the earlier scenario, wherein your credential as a qualified and competent practitioner could alone determine your practice’s sustenance and growth, the present-day scenario, characterized by innumerous practitioners and a heterogeneous mix of insurance carriers, requires your practices to bear the stamp of ‘Credentialing’ to stay well clear of audit, delay or denial exposures. Although physician practices are required to be credentialed by Fede

  In the Final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for 2022 issued on November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added five new CPT codes in the categories of Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Principal Care Management (PCM) and increased reimbursement for already existing codes in the same categories. These codes are like chronic care management services in that the work involves the establishment, implementation, revision, and monitoring of a care plan for a patient. However, principal care management focuses on a single condition (rather than two or more). In the year 2022, Medicare will accept CPT codes 99424, 99425, 99426, and 99427, and discontinue HCPCS codes G2064 and G2065. 2022 Revised Codes for Principal Care Management CPT 99424: Principal care management services, for a single high-risk disease, with the following, required elements: one complex chronic condition expected to last at least 3 months, and that places the patient at  signi

  After 25 years of training medical practice staff how to successfully ask patients to pay at the point of service, there are many common excuses that we hear when staff members fail to collect Revenue from Patients. As per the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report released in December 2014, 43 million citizens have overdue medical debt and a staggering 52 % of all debt on credit reports is from  medical billing . The findings of the study clearly indicate that patient collection is becoming a  serious threat to the profitability of the provider’s office. Factors like ongoing economic instability combined with the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act and the shift in payment models to be consumer-direct with high deductibles have all consolidated into greater difficulties for the provider’s office at revenue collection from patients. Reasons Your Staff Fails to Collect Revenue from Patients To elaborate, here are a few reasons why provider’s offices fail,

  Introduction The therapy 8-minute rule is a vital concept for therapists, specifically in the context of billing Medicare or Medicaid for their services. This rule allows therapists to calculate the appropriate number of billable units based on the duration of direct contact therapeutic services provided to a patient. Understanding the 8-minute rule is essential to avoid billing errors, delays in reimbursement, audits, and underbilling. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of the therapy 8-minute rule, its application in therapy billing, and how to calculate billable units accurately. What is the Therapy 8-Minute Rule? The therapy 8-minute rule refers to the method used by therapists, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists, to determine the number of billable units for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement. It applies to timed services where therapists provide one-on-one sessions with patients for at least eight minutes. Since t

  As physicians, doctors, healthcare units, ASCs, and  medical billing and coding companies  observe this year’s passage of the newly laid  MACRA/MIPS  reporting rule, there are a lot of dilemmas about its positives and avoidance for the year 2018. However, it will be important to notice whether the final rule continues to trend toward value-based care. Also, given the intricacy and sweeping nature of QPP, it is yet to be seen whether or not positives and avoidances will alleviate administrative burden. Understanding the MACRA/MIPS Proposed Rule Experts, including those working in the government, who are keenly observing the scenario, have some important takeaways from the proposed rule: Around 34%-36% of physicians will be eligible for MIPS after all exclusions, although they make up 55%-58% of Medicare Part B charges. MACRA/QPP is an enormous piece of legislation. At its business end, it will eliminate the sustainable growth rate formula and replace it with a 0.5% annual rate

  Managing legacy accounts receivable can be a challenge for hospitals. These outstanding balances can be difficult to collect and may have been on the books for years. They can negatively impact a hospital’s cash flow, financial performance, and overall stability. However, with effective management strategies and best practices, hospitals can tackle the puzzle of legacy accounts receivable and boost their revenue. The Hidden Costs of Unpaid Medical Bills Image Source The financial burden of unpaid medical bills is a significant issue for hospitals. When patients do not pay their outstanding balances, hospitals are left with uncompensated care costs that can impact their bottom line. Uncompensated care costs include both bad debt, which is when a hospital cannot collect payment from a patient or insurance company, and charity care, which is when a hospital provides care for free or at a reduced cost to patients who are unable to pay. In addition to the direct financial impact of

  The behavioral health industry has historically lagged behind physical healthcare in adopting value-based and outcomes-based care models. Value-based care is also known as accountable care. A value-based care system is focused on getting value from quality services. Value-based healthcare is a payment system that rewards healthcare providers in accordance with the quality of care provided to their patients. Payments are based on better health for populations and other things, such as cost reduction, which can lead to a focus on preventative care. The benefit of value-based care is a patient in a value-based healthcare model will have fewer doctor’s visits, medical tests, and medical procedures. Additionally, they pay less for medication as their health gradually improves. BlueCross BlueShield came into the value-based reimbursement arrangement with Value Network. The provider group has 100+ providers in behavioral health care in Western New York. “This is another step we’re takin