In This Issue:

• Surviving the Deductible Reset in 2012: How to Collect Deductibles and Improve Self Pay Collections
• Complimentary Webinar - Let's Collect Deductibles in 2012: Tips for Improving Self Pay Collections
• Medicare Update: Getting Paid for Depression and Alcohol Misuse Screening and Obesity Counseling in a Primary Care Practice
• Best Practices: Three Financial Danger Signs for Medical Practices
• Use Results-Oriented EHR Implementation to Avoid EHR Failure
• Learn to Streamline Your Medical Billing in a Kareo Demo Webinar

Latest from Kareo

Surviving the Deductible Reset in 2012: How to Collect Deductibles and Improve Self Pay Collections

By Sara M. Larch, MSHA, FACMPE

At the beginning of each calendar year, medical groups feel the impact of deductibles on their bottom line unless they implement “best practices” for self pay collections. I have read that there are two factors that motivate patients to pay... Read More

Complimentary Webinar - Let's Collect Deductibles in 2012: Tips for Improving Self Pay Collections

Thursday, January 19, 2012
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST
Speaker: Sara Larch, MSHA, FACMPE

Medical practices will have even more self pay patients in 2012 and the deductible category is the fastest growing portion of self pay.  In this webinar, we will focus on strategies that will help manage deductibles and increase revenue collected at time of service.

We will discuss how to improve self pay collections and attendees will learn:
• Learn the importance of patient communication
• What the practice's staff needs to know
• "Best Practices" in self pay collections at time of service
• And much more

Register Now!

Medicare Update: Getting Paid for Depression and Alcohol Misuse Screening and Obesity Counseling in a Primary Care Practice

By Betsy Nicoletti, M.S., CPC

“Medicare pays primary care clinicians for Behavioral Health services? Since when?” Here's a Medicare update of particular interest to primary care practices... Read More

Best Practices: Three Financial Danger Signs for Medical Practices

By Judy Capko

In the best of all worlds, physicians and practice managers solve practice problems before they get big enough to have an impact on overall financial performance.  However, experience tells us otherwise. As a result, physicians are sometimes blind-sided when there is a sudden deterioration in practice finances... Read More

Use Results-Oriented EHR Implementation to Avoid EHR Failure

By Ron Sterling

In order to understand the status of EHR implementation and deployment, you need objective measures to monitor status and trend results.  Otherwise, you could be pushing forward with EHR strategies and an operational model that is not effective for your practice... Read More

Learn to Streamline Your Medical Billing in a Kareo Demo Webinar

Considering a switch to Kareo, but want to see how Kareo’s easy to use medical billing solution can help streamline your office and ask questions specific to your concerns? Then you are invited to join us for our next free demo webinars... Read More

Case Study “I recommend Kareo to any solo practitioner looking for a low-cost way to manage your medical billing and finances.” Sangita Parab, MD, Sangita Parab Medical PC When Sangita Parab, MD, opened a small internal medicine practice in New York two years ago, she used a clearinghouse to send her claims electronically. But the arrangement was time-consuming and inefficient... Read More

Case Study “Kareo is the best medical billing software I have ever used!” Dorothy Trottier, Medical Specialty Billing, LLC According to Dorothy Trottier, the longer she uses Kareo’s web-based software, the more she finds to like about it. And that’s saying quite a bit, considering she has been using Kareo for nearly six years... Read More

Billing Tip of the Month

How to Improve Your Collection Calls Results

Marline Juarez, Valley Springs Physical Therapy, Acampo, CA

 After our collection process (each office has a certain number of statements they send for collection notices - our office usually sends 3), I follow up with a phone call. Instead of the usual "Your account is overdue", I follow this plan... Read More

Top News and Ideas from Industry

Extension of the 2011 Physician Payment Rates and Other Policies

Susan Vecchi-Cedrone, Becker’s ASC Review, Jan, 6, 2012

On Dec. 23, 2011, President Obama signed the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (TPTCCA), which included postponing the SGR reduction of 27.4 percent through the month of February. While the physician fee schedule will be a zero update, other changes to the RVUs used to calculate the fee schedule rates must be budget neutral and is accomplished by adjusting the 2012 fee schedule... Read More

More Consumers Choosing High-Deductible Plans

Emily Berry, Amednews, Jan. 2, 2012

Patients are taking on health insurance that requires them to pay more out of pocket -- but they’re not necessarily putting money aside to cover the cost… Read More

CMS Announces New FAQs for 90 Day Discretionary Enforcement Period of 5010

CMS, Dec. 29, 2011

Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) issued an announcement Wednesday, December 14, 2011 regarding its plan for the 90 Day Discretionary Enforcement Period for non-compliant HIPAA covered entities.  CMS has published six FAQ items related to this plan… Read More

Healthcare Industry Not Ready for 5010; MGMA Calls for 6-month Contingency Plan

HIMSS News, Dec. 20, 2011

The latest research from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) on the transition to the new HIPAA Version 5010 electronic transaction standards highlights the need for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately issue an expanded contingency plan... Read More

Anticipated Regulations for 2012 from CMS and ONC

HIMSS News, Dec. 22, 2011

Several Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) are anticipated to come from CMS and ONC this winter. This chart, updated Dec. 22, outlines the regulations that are currently anticipated... Read More

OIG Releases Health Care Provider Compliance Videos

AAPC News, Dec. 15, 2011

If you are interested in learning about the fundamentals of health care compliance, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has just what you need. The OIG has released Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) provider compliance training videos and podcasts… Read More

Medicare Drug Plans to Withhold Pay If They Suspect "Doctor Shopping"

Charles Fiegl, Amednews, Dec. 22, 2011

Federal officials have written a memo instructing Part D payers to end the "pay-and-chase" model for fighting improper drug claims. The Dept. of Health and Human Services has asked Medicare Part D sponsors to take extra precautions to stop improper payments for prescription drugs. The administration wants drug plans to raise red flags when they see suspicious claims… Read More

Physicians Are Paid Less to Give Combination Vaccines

Victoria Stagg Elliott, Amednews, Dec. 21, 2011

Medical practices generally earn less giving a single shot that protects against five diseases than injecting component immunizations separately, even though the same amount of counseling time is often required for combination shots as single vaccinations, according to a study… Read More

New "Independent at Home" Demo Revitalizes the House Call

AAPC News, Dec. 30, 2011

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would like to reintroduce the concept of the “house call” to modern medicine with a new demonstration project. Under the “Independence at Home Demonstration,” participating practices will provide home-based primary care to targeted chronically ill Medicare patients for a three-year period… Read More

Tick, Tick, Tick: Strategies for Reducing ICD-10 Anxiety

Lisa Eramo, For the Record, Dec. 5, 2011

Coder anxiety is bound to grow as the ICD-10 deadline approaches, but there are several strategies to help ease the tension… Read More

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