This year HIMSS was all about interoperability. As healthcare goes through a massive overhaul, providers are more focused than ever on integrating technology solutions that will make their jobs easier, allow them to provide higher quality care, and save money. HIMSS saw its largest attendee rate ever with over 37,000 people gathering in Las Vegas to explore healthcares hottest topics.... [More]

Adoption of health information technology (HIT) is on the rise. This was confirmed today by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius when she announced that the number of hospitals using health information technology (IT) has more than doubled in the last two years. Nearly 2,000 hospitals and more than 41,000 doctors have received over $3 billion in incentive payments for meeting meaningful use requirements.... [More]

According to Surescripts, which handles nearly all U.S. prescriptions, approximately 150 million prescriptions are written and filled each month. About one-third of those prescriptions are currently being handled electronically using e-prescription technology. E-Prescribing allows healthcare providers to electronically send a precise and clear prescription directly to a pharmacy from the point-of-care. Using a secure internet network e-prescriptions are sent directly to pharmacies from computers or hand-held devices. The instantaneous transmission cuts out patients as the middle man, making the process faster and more streamlined.... [More]

As you may have read in our recent post entitled Accountable Care Organizations: The Future of Medicare, the creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) within the healthcare industry are on the rise due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. An ACO is a group of healthcare providers such as a doctor’s office, hospital, and long-term care facility that all share in the care of a single Medicare patient. This healthcare model links provider reimbursements to care quality metrics and outcomes, saving both time and money.

Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary announced this week that thirty-two leading health care organizations from across the country will be participating in a new Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) initiative. This program will reward groups of health care providers that have formed ACOs based on how well they are able to improve the quality of care their Medicare patients receive and how well they are able to lower their cost of care... [More]

The manner in which the healthcare industry operates has changed significantly-- rising costs, rate cuts, additional Medicare beneficiaries, and increased standards and regulations. It is no surprise that Medicare laws are constantly changing, and with 2012 right around the corner important adjustments are quickly coming down the pike.

Each year plans change what they cost and what they cover—so when your patients come to you with questions, it is vital that you be prepared to answer. Here are some of the topics you should be prepared to discuss.... [More]

Most industry conversations about healthcare IT are focused toward large providers. However, there are tens of thousands of smaller providers around the country with different needs and resources. What many vendors fail to understand is that streamlining workflow and improving the patient experience is important in any facility, big or small. Many new technologies on the market today have either been configured for large organizations, or have been stripped-down and repackaged for smaller providers..... [More]

Each year millions of dollars are being wasted on improper payments made by Medicare. To remedy this problem, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hired independent medical collection agencies, known as Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) in 2009. According to CMS’s 2010 Report to Congress, RACs corrected a combined $92.3 million in improper Medicare payments in 2010. These included incorrect payment amounts, incorrectly coded services, and payments for non-covered and duplicate services.

Lessons learned
After three years, a number of improvements have been made to make the Medicare Audit program more efficient, economical, and organized. Developments include setting a limit on how many medical records a review contractor can request to protect smaller providers from excessive requests, and giving review contractors the authority to review claims within the current fiscal year. The most notable change to date has been the introduction of CMS’ electronic submission of medical documentation program (esMD). esMD allows providers to submit all of the supporting documentation for an audit to the review contractors electronically, accelerating and simplifying the audit process for providers.... [More]

 

Flu season can be quite a headache for healthcare providers-- causing an enormous increase in billing activity and the number of Medicare claims that must be submitted. Due to a new vaccination requirement proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), most providers are now required to offer Medicare and Medicaid patients an annual influenza vaccination. That being said, is your facility ready for the influx of patients who need their flu shots?.... [More]

Getting patient eligibility checked in real time is only important if your business wants to get paid for the services it renders. If revenue management isn’t a key component to the success and safeguard of your practice, you can continue to leave eligibility up to chance (and you can stop reading this blog post). But, if you are among the thousands of providers who are sick of wasting precious time and money verifying patient information over the phone and having to resubmit denied claims – this one’s for you.... [More]