All Things Medical Office

With health care costs rising, it's natural that more people want to lower their medical spending. According to Consumer Reports, only 31% of Americans try to negotiate the price of medical bills, but those who do usually succeed in saving big money. These are some methods that will help. Understanding Medical Charges and Discounts 1. Become familiar with routine discounts. Doctors and hospitals typically give discounts of as much as 60% to Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance companies. As an individual, you may have less leverage than the big payers, but you can usually save significant money by negotiating. 2. Look for the CPT code. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are the standard codes maintained by the American Medical Association. They're what billing departments use to determine the charges for any procedure. Once you know the CPT codes, you can comparison shop. 3. Know that it's okay to negotiate. Many health care providers are getting used to pa...

A high medical deductible can put you in a difficult financial situation. If you need health care, a large insurance deductible could mean you’re faced with complicated choices. Don’t let your health suffer because of this deductible! Try these strategies and avoid a financial crisis: 1. Understand your deductible. Before you worry about high medical bills, it’s important to check the exact amount of your deductible. • Your insurance company can provide you with detailed information about your deductible. They’re required to answer your questions and make the information easy to find.   • Your deductible can vary based on the medical procedure, test, or treatment. • The deductible on your plan might change from one year to the next. It’s important to get the latest information from your company.  2. Shop around. You already know that shopping around is important before you buy a house, car, or shoes. Likewise, you can save money by shopping around for medical servi...

Do you want to ensure that your wishes and beliefs are upheld in your medical care? Advance health care directives instruct others about your wishes concerning medical treatment, should you become unable to communicate them yourself. Documenting your plans can give you greater peace of mind and make decisions easier for your loved ones in potentially stressful situations. Here are some steps that will help you create these important documents. Learn the Importance of Advance Health Care Directives: 1. Have your wishes and beliefs honored. It's natural to feel uncomfortable thinking about physical incapacity and death, but it's comforting to know that you can exercise some control. You'll feel more secure if you take every possible step to ensure that the medical care you receive is consistent with your personal values and beliefs. 2. Relieve your loved ones of unnecessary burdens. It's difficult for your loved ones to know what you want unless you talk with ...

Do you have medical bills that your insurance company doesn’t want to pay? You have several options as you explore different ways to pay the bills.  If your insurance company won’t pay the bill, consider these ideas: 1. Understand the out-of-network rules. Receiving care out-of-network is one of the most common reasons an insurance company denies payment. • Did you go to a hospital, clinic, or doctor who is outside of your network? Insurance companies have strict rules for what they will cover. They may not want to pay for hospitals or doctors who aren’t part of their network. • Unless you had an emergency that couldn’t be treated at an in-network provider, you may not be able to get the insurance company to pay.  • Your city or state may have specific rules that can force insurance companies to pay for out-of-network services in emergency situations. However, you may still be responsible for some of the charges.  2. Negotiate your payment. If your insurance c...

http://www.slideshare.net/jbhicks/hipaa-training-37783926

NYTimes: Can Doctors Be Taught How to Talk to Patients? http://nyti.ms/1ftDBoD

Every patient seen in the Medical Office has a right to privacy . This includes: Privacy Confidentiality Security Privacy Guidelines Information should never be: Discussed in the presence of others Visible to the public What is Confidential? All patient information is confidential. This includes all medical and financial information communicated on paper, by fax, verbally, electronic, film, disk, and video. Who has Access to Confidential Information? Only the staff that needs to know the information necessary to perform their job function. Keep Information Secure Never share passwords Never leave a computer monitor without logging off Never use weak password Be Especially Careful with: AIDS/HIV Substance Abuse Minors Mental Illness Pregnancy

I am hosting a live Q&A session next Saturday, January 18, 2014 between 1 pm and 5 pm eastern standard time to answer questions regarding your medical office specific issues.  To participate in this free Q&A session, please join my G+ community - About Medical Office .   If you don't have a question, but would like to participate in a discussion feel free to join in.   Event information

http://qz.com/161727/wed-all-be-better-off-with-our-health-records-on-facebook/

I am considering creating several online courses for newbies to the medical office such as the medical billing process, creating a positive patient experience, etc. Please share any ideas you would be interested in.

Medicare will begin paying flat rates for clinic visits to outpatient clinics to avoid upcoding.  Do you think this is fair? Read the full article here

It is important to understand how refunds and recoupments can potentially have a negative impact on reimbursement.  Since these financial activities are generally performed separately, sometimes it is difficult to ... Read more

I invite you to participate in my discussion forum at Medical Office @ About.com .  Please feel free to use this forum to ask questions or express your opinion. Someone else may be searching for help on the same topic. Lots of people can contribute to or benefit from the discussions in this forum. 

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable holiday as you travel and shop. This year I am so grateful for my family, friends and career. I want to especially express how grateful I am for my readers. I love hearing from you - your questions and feedback. You inspire me to continue to provide the best content to help you improve your Medical Office. As always, please feel free to contact me with your questions or comments at allthingsmedicaloffice@gmail.com .

HOUSTON, Nov. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthcare providers have a referral problem. Twenty percent of referrals are never completed, in large part due to the fact that referring patients is a laborious task involving old technologies like fax and follow-up phone calls. Plus, increasing opportunities to strengthen relationships with other local care professionals has become more difficult. Medifr is the first free open eReferral platform created to solve the current referral problem and help care providers gain the valuable exposure to referring colleagues they need to grow their practices. "In the past, the medical and care communities have been slow to adopt new technologies and it has not only affected their office efficiency but also their ability to grow their business," says Dr. Sean Martin, Director of Health and Technology. "Medifr makes is simple to send, receive and track referrals so providers don't lose business. Plus, it provides a unique way for c...

There's only a little over a month left in 2013. This is not the time to slow down - it is time for that extra push. Find ways to motivate your staff to increase revenue and reduce bad debt. If you need some ideas, visit www.medicaloffice.about.com and read about ways your medical office can motivate employees.