Educational Opportunites
Published April 8, 2010 | 
As we stated in the previous posting we are gathering information on educational resources for our subscribers. I read all the time and enjoy reading about a variety of different things. I was emailed a link to this article by the author, Chris Thorman, who blogs about medical billing software, and am happy to post a link to it here:
The article talks about outsourcing your billing and some of the factors you should consider when or if your practice should do it. Granted, you may not have the input into the decision of if or when to outsource your employers billing but it is a very informative article none-the-less. Remember that keeping yourself informed about every aspect of Patient Accounting is always a good thing. You never know when an article, website or newsletter information may spark an idea to help your company’s bottom line. You may even get inspired to change your current job and explore other areas in this field that might prove financially and emotionally beneficial.
If you have read an article online that might be informative and/or educational to your fellow patient access reps, medical insurance clerks, registrars, etc then please send us the link and we will be happy to write a posting about it. We would greatly appreciate it if you would send a link to our blog to your fellow employees as well. The more patient accounting people who subscribe to this blog and send in articles, links and give us educational resources the better we can do our jobs!
ICD-10
Published December 1, 2009 | Do you know what the difference is between the ICD-9 and the new ICD-10 codes that go into effect October 1, 2013? Granted that is a year or three down the road but as with any new technology it takes a while to learn new stuff and to buy new software updates and books with the updated information. ICD stands for the International Classification of Diseases. It is the coding system used around the world to classify diagnoses and is used in billing claims. Strangely enough the United States is the last country to adopt the ICD-10 coding rules. ICD-9 which was has been around since the 1970s needs to be updated because of all the advancements in healthcare as well as new diseases being discovered. The new coding systems allows for more specificity to diagnosis and treatment plans and will allow for new codes to be added as needed.
Granted, Patient Access Reps (non-billing or claims follow-up persons) do not need to know ICD-9 codes but as members of the Patient Financial Services (or Patient Accounts Receivable Areas) it is always a good idea to be aware of the changes in our sphere of influence. Patients may need to know why their insurance company denies their claims for a wrong diagnosis code and you will at least know something about what they are taking about to direct them to those who would know more. Also, if you ever want to change jobs or get certified it is always a good idea to keep up with current technology and the requirements of getting the patients claims paid promptly and correctly. Diagnosis Coding is just one of those elements.
If you want to learn more about ICD-10’s and coding requirements, and/or coding certification the best FREE
source of information is the Medicare website at: www.medicare.gov
You can also get more information from the CDC – Center for Disease Control:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd10cm.htm
Or get the Information from the Organization that owns the ICD-10 information WHO – World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
Future for Patient Access Reps
Published September 15, 2009 | We are constantly having to keep on our toes with information and education. With the Healthcare field projecting to have an average 18% increase in need over the next 5 years and more industries shutting down or not having any increase in jobs we who keep on time of the new trends within our area. After reading over several blogs and articles in newspapers and medical sites I have found a couple of things that have peak my interest.
The first of these are medical smart cards. It is a plastic card the size of a credit card that contains all of your patients medical records. The patient carries it around with them from medical center, to doctor to hospital and the medical personnel only has to slide or swipe it and all the information gets uploaded to the computer. Of course you will need compatible card readers and software to receive the records and update them. Some can even include the patient’s demographic and insurance information. Check out the following websites for more information: Project SwipeIT and smartcardalliance.org.
Doctors have access to medical reference apps on their iphones such as Taber’s Medical Dictionary, Davis’s Drug guide and STAT ICD-9 LITE and soon even patient records and updates on patients progress in the hospital on their blackberries. Medical Schools are beginning Google is gathering supporters within the insurance companies to provide patient data to Google’s electronic personal health record platform. The goal of which is to have the patient’s medical history accessable online for the patient to grant access to their medical providers.
And finally, my favorite, is virtual reality training. A hospital in Chicago commissioned a company called Linden Lab to create a virtual replica of their hospital and the surrounding area inside and out. The Second Life program allows the employees to practice Emergency drills in virtual real time. This game can be set for a variety of disasters and each employee can go online to practice drills and learn how to do them without interupting the hospital routine. This application can be used for a variety of different scenarios.
Cheers!