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Use financial counseling to improve collections, patient relationships

09/13/2013

As out-of-pocket costs rise, you can offer financial counseling to not only collect more money from patients, but also improve your relationship with them.

Experts: Payers likely to offer lower rates, reduced access

09/13/2013

by: Scott Kraft

Early signs suggest that contract rates being offered by insurance companies for 2014 — the first year under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — reflect lower growth than in previous years, experts tell Part B News.

Medicare wants you to use modifier 76 for repeat services on same date

09/13/2013

by: Scott Kraft

A little-noticed policy clarification about how modifiers 59 (Distinct procedural service) and 76 (Repeat service) should be used on claims is causing denial headaches for practices.

First look: 2012 Medicare claims data shows uptick in drug, therapy denials

09/13/2013

by: Lauren C. Williams

Part B News looks at the 100 most frequently billed codes — not including chiropractic, durable medical equipment or lab codes — in 2012 and analyzed 10 codes’ denial rates higher than 10%.

4 tips to update business associate agreements by HIPAA ‘mega-rule’ deadline

09/02/2013

by: Jennifer Clampet

Practices are either going too far or not far enough in their business associate agreements as the Sept. 23 compliance date for the HIPAA “mega-rule” approaches, experts say.

Ensure certification, installation of 2014 EHR technology or risk losing thousands

09/02/2013

by: Karen Long

You could lose up to $12,000 in meaningful use bonuses — despite your best efforts to meet the requirements of the electronic health records (EHR) incentive program — if your practice doesn’t have a 2014-certified edition of its software by Oct. 1 next year.

Avoid denied claims by using tools to verify patients’ insurance eligibility

09/02/2013

by: Karen Long

Check the insurance eligibility of your patients two to three days before their appointments to ensure proper billing and collections and to reduce the expense it takes your practice to fix delayed or denied claims.

9 tips for new ways to connect with your payers for better results

09/02/2013

by: Scott Kraft

Step outside the usual claims-driven back-and-forth with your payers and “manage up” to them to let them know when and how they can provide your practice with better responses and more consistent service, experts tell Part B News.

CMS: Health exchanges can help meet meaningful use when certified

09/02/2013

by: Scott Kraft

Transmitting data via the Affordable Care Act’s health information exchanges (HIEs) can help you meet meaningful use requirements for your electronic health record (EHR) system, CMS clarifies in a set of recently released frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the EHR incentive program. One catch: The HIE must be certified by CMS.

Lack of vendor readiness prompts requests to delay meaningful use stage 2

09/02/2013

by: Jennifer Clampet

Vendors failing to attain timely certification on stage 2 meaningful use for electronic health records (EHR) systems has spurred provider organizations to ask for reporting delays and penalty moratoriums for eligible physicians.

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