MedWorm: Billing

When CMS Tweets-Medicare-Pharmacy-DME (Homecare?)

the international medical market place — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:20:13 +0100

When Medicare says “more to come…” about Home health, DME, and hospice open door forums regarding pharmacies providing & billing #Medicare for #DME. More details to come… What exactly do they mean… Possibly related posts:Medicare – Suppliers Raise Concerns About Scheduled Reduction in Medicare Reimbursements for Power Wheelchairs The Respiratory Homecare Industry- before its too late Cuts to HME: Reform report leaves door ‘wide open’ – HME News (Source: the international medical market place)

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The use of administrative data as a substitute for individual screening scores in observational studies related to problematic alcohol or drug use

Drug and Alcohol Dependence — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:33:10 +0100

This study used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve techniques to assess how well AOD-related administrative indicators predicted self-reported AOD use obtained from AUDIT/DAST screening scores. An administrative AOD indicator, derived from a combination of medical encounter and billing data, arrest records, and publicly funded AOD-related services data, demonstrated discrimination in the acceptable range (AUC: 0.72–0.78) for identifying self-reported AOD use consistent with potential need for either (1) any AOD-related intervention, or (2) intensive AOD-related intervention or treatment. These findings held up in two distinct samples: a statewide Medicaid-only sample and a single-site mixed-payer sample that included the uninsured. Our findings suggest that indicators of AOD-r...

Emdeon aims to ease pharmacies' billing headaches with vaccines, non-drug sales

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:18:08 +0100

Nashville-based Emdeon (NYSE: EM) is rolling out a new product that will make it easier for retail pharmacies to charge you for your flu shot — or crutches, syringes and other items that aren’t prescription drugs. (EM) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Emdeon aims to ease pharmacies' billing headaches with vaccines, non-drug sales

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:18:08 +0100

Highmark fights cancer billing changes at West Penn, UPMC

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Insurance giant Highmark Inc. is tussling with the region’s biggest hospital networks over a billing change it says will add millions of dollars to the cost of cancer treatment and raise health insurance premiums without improving treatment. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Highmark fights cancer billing changes at West Penn, UPMC

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

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Comparison of public/private health care insurance parameters for independent psychological practice.

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Managed care cost-cutting strategies are more prevalent in the private (employer provided) than public (Medicare/Medicaid) health care sectors. The main organizational managed care strategy pertaining to the independent practice of psychology has been the separation of the administration of mental from medical health care though behavioral health carve-outs. These organizations typically offer lower reimbursement rates and have greater preauthorization requirements than non-managed care public plans for the same psychological service. Dispute resolution in the private sector involves lawsuits and state consumer protection programs while public plans utilize internal review and are subject to investigations of provider billing fraud and abuse. Behavioral health carve-outs have reduced menta...

Commentary

Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:16:34 +0100

How often is it that a patient tells us that they don't understand how their medical insurance works? When I hear this question, I do my best to explain the facts as I understand them, and then I usually end up instructing my patient to discuss the matter further with our billing manager. Of course, like the tax code, medical insurance can be complicated. In the following editorial commentary, Dr. Kinosian describes some of the intricacies related to the different parts of Medicare coverage. A better understanding of these complexities, I think, could be useful to all of us, patients and providers alike. (Source: Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery)

Medicare Program; Establishing Additional Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Supplier Enrollment Safeguards; Final Rule

Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:00:00 +0100

This final rule will clarify, expand, and add to the existing enrollment requirements that Durable Medical Equipment and Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers must meet to establish and maintain billing privileges in the Medicare program. (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)

New Online Compliance Training Course For Nursing Facilities

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc. (HCCS), the leading provider of online healthcare compliance and competency training, announced the release of a new online compliance training course designed specifically for nursing facilities including nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities and other long term care providers. Nursing facilities are facing increased government scrutiny. Federal and state government agencies are auditing the services provided and carefully inspecting documentation, coding, billing, and the quality of care provided... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Giving physicians insights on billing issues could boost collections

Diagnostic Imaging — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Too often radiologists are far removed from the billing and collections process. Giving them a better understanding of the process, and the role their reports play in it, can improve collections and streamline the work that takes place in the back office. (Source: Diagnostic Imaging)

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Dispatch: Latest in 9/11 Health Claims

Health Facts and Fears — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Lawyers for 10,000 Ground Zero workers suing New York City padded their expenses by billing for public-relations efforts and lobbyists, according to court papers reviewed by the New York Post. Lawyer Paul Napoli defended all the expenses as "perfectly justifiable and "perfectly legitimate," as they met the legal standard of "advancing the client’s case. (Source: Health Facts and Fears)

Athenahealth parses practice management platform to offer stand-alone EHR product

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:08:38 +0100

Source: MassDevice Content: “Athenahealth Inc. (NSDQ:ATHN) now offers electronic health records service athenaClinicals as a stand-alone system. The company formerly only bundled the EHR service with its athenaCollector billing service to offer a plenary practice manangement platform.” Article MassDevice, 19 August 2010 (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Vendor Notebook - athenaClinicals to be offered as standalone

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:45:39 +0100

athenahealth, of Watertown, Mass., has announced that it will offer its Web-based EHR service, athenaClinicals, as a standalone offering. Historically, clients were required to adopt athenahealth’s Web-based billing and practice management service, athenaCollector in order to use athenaClinicals as part of a fully-integrated platform. The athenaClinicals standalone option will offer athenahealth’s hospital and enterprise clients more flexibility as they execute on their affiliated and clinical community connectivity programs. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Medicare anti-fraud bills backed by AARP

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:58:45 +0100

Lawmakers want officials to increase fraud penalties, perform additional screenings of physicians and suppliers, and analyze claims more quickly to detect suspicious billing. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

Internet Marketers of Acai Berry Weight-Loss Pills and "Colon Cleansers" to Stop Deceptive Advertising and Unfair Billing Practices

MedlinePlus Health News — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:07:57 +0100

Source: Federal Trade Commission Related MedlinePlus Pages: Dietary Supplements, Weight Control (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

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Marketers of Acai Berry Supplements and "Colon Cleansers" Ordered to Halt Sales

NCCAM Featured Content — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:09:31 +0100

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has ordered the marketers of acai berry supplements, "colon cleansers," and other products to temporarily halt an Internet sales scheme that allegedly scammed consumers out of $30 million or more in 2009 alone through deceptive advertising and unfair billing practices. The FTC will seek a permanent prohibition. Since 2007, victimized consumers have flooded law enforcement agencies and the Better Business Bureau with more than 2,800 complaints about the company. (Source: NCCAM Featured Content)

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients get left in landfill

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Three Boston-area community hospitals are investigating potential breach of patient confidentiality by an external, independent billing agency, which led to thousands of unshredded patient records being exposed in a landfill. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients get left in landfill

Health Imaging News — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients get left in landfill

Health Imaging News — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients left in landfill

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

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Data on thousands of Boston-area patients left in landfill

Health Imaging News — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients left in landfill

Health Imaging News — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Data on thousands of Boston-area patients left in landfill

Cardiovascular Business News — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:59:31 +0100

Prior Art for the BillingNetwork Patent Troll

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:54:34 +0100

Source: Fred Trotter Content: “I am saddened that the supreme court decided not to address the software patent problem with Bilski. They had an opportunity to abolish or at least reign-in software patents, which are an inherently bad idea. Instead they undid what little progress had been made in the Bilski precedent. I think others have [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Coding Questions? We’ve Got the Answers

Physicians Practice — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Billing new OB visits; office visit codes; bundling procedures; and global post-ops (Source: Physicians Practice)

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Cancer Incidence in Female Cosmetologists and Manicurists in California, 1988-2005.

Am J Epidemiol — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Quach T, Doan-Billing PA, Layefsky M, Nelson D, Nguyen KD, Okahara L, Tran AN, Von Behren J, Reynolds P Health concerns have been pronounced for cosmetologists and manicurists, who are exposed daily to cosmetic products containing known or suspected human carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used probabilistic record linkage between California's statewide cosmetology licensee and cancer surveillance files to identify newly diagnosed invasive cancers among female workforce members during 1988-2005. Rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for cancer among workforce members compared with the general female population in California were estimated via Poisson regression. For comparison, site-specific proportional incidence ratios we...

Operation of a Radiopharmacy for a Clinical Trial

Seminars in Nuclear Medicine — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:03:27 +0100

Clinical investigations of radiopharmaceuticals are undertaken to advance promising compounds toward approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “legend drugs.” This FDA approval requires that the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug (ID) be demonstrated through clinical trials. The investigational radiopharmaceutical drug service (IRDS) is a pharmacy service that plays a critical role in the acquisition, preparation, accountability, and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals used in clinical research. Due to their radioactive and other unique properties, and their potential role as biomarkers or tools in clinical trials of other therapeutic drugs, radiopharmaceutical drugs must be managed by a qualified IRDS rather than by a typical pharmacy-based investigational dr...

BCBSM Direct Billing for SLP/OT

ASHA Action Alerts — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: ASHA Action Alerts)

Medicaid Reimbursement of Hearing Services for Infants and Young Children

PEDIATRICS — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:45:37 +0100

In this study we compared 2005 Medicaid reimbursement rates for hearing services for infants and young children in 15 states with the payment rates for the same services by Medicare and commercially available health insurance. On average, Medicaid rates for the same services were only 67 as high as Medicare and only 38 as high as commercial fees. Furthermore, most Medicaid rates declined from 2000 to 2005, and many states did not have billing codes for a significant number of the hearing services needed by infants and young children. These factors likely contribute to infants and young children with hearing loss not being able to get the hearing services they need to benefit from early identification of hearing loss. These data also raise questions about the extent to which states are meet...

Data and Methods to Facilitate Delivery System Reform: Harnessing Collective Intelligence to Learn from Positive Deviance

Health Services Research — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Researchers often focus on the data and methods to assess policy changes, but data and methods can also be policy tools. To improve, health care systems need mechanisms and incentives for continually gathering, assessing, and acting on data. This requires (1) more comprehensive data, (2) converting data into information, and (3) incentives to apply that information. Restructured economic incentives can encourage clinicians to increase value (higher quality and/or lower cost) for their patients. While necessary, incentives are not sufficient[mdash]information is also needed. Incentives can lead clinicians to demand better information. Much of the necessary data is already used in patient care and billing; some additional variables will come directly from patients. The notion builds on two c...

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CPT fee differentials and visit upcoding under Medicare Part B

Health Economics — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Medicare Part B pays outpatient physicians according to the billed Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, which differ in procedure and intensity. Since many performed services merely differ by intensity, physicians have an incentive to upcode services to increase profitability of a visit. Using nationally representative data from the 2001 to 2003 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, this paper explores the effect of Medicare Part B fee differentials on the upcoding of general office visits (i.e. for established patient visits with CPT codes of 99212-99215). It finds strong evidence that these fee differentials influence physician's coding choice for billing purposes across a variety of specialties. For general office visits, Medicare outlays attributable to upcoding may sum to as muc...

Can outsourced billing be considered illegal fee splitting?

Modern Medicine — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Dr. Bill's practice sees more than 1,000 patients a week, most covered by some version of medical insurance. The practice outsourced its billing to a billing company, which takes a small percentage of each paid patient bill as its method of payment. Recently, a disgruntled patient sued Dr. Bill, alleging illegal fee splitting. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Denying Payments for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: How Did We Get Here?

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

A recent policy change at Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) for Texas, Illinois, New Mexico, and Oklahoma regarding musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound illustrates how the status of reimbursement for diagnostic imaging can change overnight. On September 1, 2009, BCBS issued its policy “Non-Operative Spinal and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound” (RAD602.016), which deems all MSK ultrasound studies “experimental.” Health care providers who perform MSK ultrasound found themselves denied Current Procedural Terminology® code 76880 and other codes for billing and reimbursement for MSK ultrasound. This change sent shock waves throughout a variety of medical communities, ranging from radiology to podiatry. A variety of sources, including ourselves, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and ...

Pay Back Time: Health-care reform to boost transport reimbursements

JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Ambulance billing might not be the most exciting topic in EMS, but it could be the most important for cash-strapped departments. At this year's Fire-Rescue Med conference, Oceanside (Calif.) Fire Department Battalion Chief Peter Lawrence stressed two major trends to watch for in the upcoming months: changes as a result of health-care reform and a renewed effort from private ambulance services to capture a larger piece of the EMS pie. (Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services)

Specialists Hit Hard by Loss Of Consultation Billing

Clinical Psychiatry News — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Medicare's decision to eliminate consultation codes has resulted in a loss of revenue for many physicians and forced some to cut back on appointments with Medicare beneficiaries, according to a survey commissioned by the American Medical Association and several other medical specialty societies. (Source: Clinical Psychiatry News)

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Specialists Hit Hard By Loss Of Consultation Billing

Rheumatology News — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Insured Americans Are Using Fewer Medical Services While Employers Consider Wellness Incentives

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0100

The Wall Street Journal: "Insured Americans are using fewer medical services, raising questions about whether patients are consuming less health care as they pick up a greater share of the costs. The drop in usage is showing up as health-care companies report financial results. Insurers, lab-testing companies, hospitals and doctor-billing concerns say that patient visits, drug prescriptions and procedures were down in the second quarter from year-ago levels. Others say that consumers are beginning to forgo elective procedures like knee replacements. ... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Surveillance of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases using administrative data

Rheumatology International — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:55:00 +0100

Abstract There is growing interest in developing tools and methods for the surveillance of chronic rheumatic diseases, using existing resources such as administrative health databases. To illustrate how this might work, we used population-based administrative data to estimate and compare the prevalence of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) across three Canadian provinces, assessing for regional differences and the effects of demographic factors. Cases of SARDs (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, primary Sjogren’s, polymyositis/dermatomyositis) were ascertained from provincial physician billing and hospitalization data. We combined information from three case definitions, using hierarchical Bayesian latent class regression models that account for the i...

AmMed Direct names new CEO

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:33:39 +0100

Nashville-based AmMed Direct, whose chief executive left the company in February amid an internal audit of the company’s Medicare billing practices, has named new leadership for the diabetes testing supply company. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

AmMed Direct names new CEO

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:33:39 +0100

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Physician's Focus: Understanding the State of Coding in 2010

Modern Medicine — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

As a physician, how can you ensure you obtain the greatest revenue for the work you're doing this year? The answer: Optimize your earnings by optimize communication with your coding and billing staffs. By getting to the bottom of some of the complexities of this year's coding, you can work better with coders and billers to solve coding challenges and develop workflows to increase revenue and compliance. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities for FY 2011; Notice with Comment Period

Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:38:58 +0100

This notice with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sets forth an update to the payment rates used under the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities for fiscal year 2011, and implements section 10325 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)

Feds Charge 94 Docs, Others With Medicare Fraud

MedPage Today Public Health — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 03:13:15 +0100

Charges have been unsealed against 94 physicians, healthcare and billing company executives, and others in five cities across the country, alleging that they submitted a total of $251 million in false Medicare claims. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

AMPS and TC3 Health forge cost containment affiliate partnership

Healthcare IT News — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:38:43 +0100

Cost-containment specialists Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS) and TC3 Health Inc., of Irvine, Calif., have joined forces to broaden offerings for payer customers in the hospital billing arena. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Physicians Resource Network Achieves AdvancedMD AdvancedBiller Status in Four Months

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:40:32 +0100

AdvancedMD Software, Inc., the leader in all-in-one, web-based practice management, Electronic Health Record (EHR), and billing applications for medical practices and medical billing services, today announced that Physicians Resource Network, Inc. (PRN) became an AdvancedMD billing partner in March, and achieved AdvancedBiller status in July, by adding 17 providers to the AdvancedMD platform within a four month period, with six of those providers on the AdvancedMD EHR clinical package. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

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Seniors Face Unexpected Medical Bills Amid Disputes Between Hospitals And Medicare Auditors

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Bloomberg Businessweek: "Elderly patients caught between U.S. hospitals and Medicare auditors pushing to cut costs are increasingly facing tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills. ... The observation classification [in medical billing] is designed to be used when there isn't an immediate diagnosis, or if it is determined the condition isn't normally treated within an inpatient setting, such as setting broken bones. ... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Drug Makers Told: Give Risks Equal Billing

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:35:47 +0100

[The Indianapolis Star] From Indianapolis Star (IN) (July 9, 2010) July 09--A woman is on the couch, grabbing her knee, wincing in pain. "Are you paying the price of fibromyalgia pain? Cymbalta can help,"... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Medical Biller Develops Special Ranking System For Insurers

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Jonathan Bush recognized that getting paid in health care is a problem, NPR's Planet Money blog reports: "Say the patient is covered by Blue Cross. Which Blue Cross? Did she need a referral? What's the right billing code?" So he left the birthing center business to get "into a different part of the health-care business: He launched athenahealth, a company that handles billing for doctors' offices." He process $1 billion a year in paper checks, and about twice that much in electronic payments. Not all insurers are equally hard to work with according to Bush, who is President George W... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Extracting timing and status descriptors for colonoscopy testing from electronic medical records.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Denny JC, Peterson JF, Choma NN, Xu H, Miller RA, Bastarache L, Peterson NB Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are low despite confirmed benefits. The authors investigated the use of natural language processing (NLP) to identify previous colonoscopy screening in electronic records from a random sample of 200 patients at least 50 years old. The authors developed algorithms to recognize temporal expressions and 'status indicators', such as 'patient refused', or 'test scheduled'. The new methods were added to the existing KnowledgeMap concept identifier system, and the resulting system was used to parse electronic medical records (EMR) to detect completed colonoscopies. Using as the 'gold standard' expert physicians' manual review of EMR notes, the system identified timing r...

Business plans - tips from the toolkit 6.

Australian Family Physician — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

This article examines how to create a simple business plan that can be applied to the general practice setting and is drawn from material contained in The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' 'General practice management toolkit'. PMID: 20628669 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Australian Family Physician)

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Webinar Wednesdays Have Begun, Will Run Through Year

Caring for the Ages — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

AMDA is debuting a series of live webinars on billing and coding in long-term care this summer. The sessions will be held every third Wednesday of the month and feature pertinent topics to enhance knowledge and competency in effective billing and coding. (Source: Caring for the Ages)

Pathology, Inc. launches XIFIN revenue cycle management system

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:57:14 +0100

XIFIN Inc., a provider of revenue cycle management for diagnostic service providers, announced that Pathology, Inc. of Torrance, CA, the region’s leading anatomic pathology laboratory, has selected XIFIN’s revenue cycle management system to optimize its billing process, improve cash collections and help ensure adherence to regulatory compliance guidelines. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Pharmacodynamic monitoring of cyclosporine A by NFAT-regulated gene expression and the relationship with infectious complications in pediatric renal transplant recipients

Pediatric Transplantation — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Billing H, Giese T, Sommerer C, Zeier M, Feneberg R, Meuer S, Tönshoff B. Pharmacodynamic monitoring of cyclosporine A by NFAT-regulated gene expression and the relationship with infectious complications in pediatric renal transplant recipients. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 00: 000[ndash]000. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract: Pharmacokinetic monitoring of CsA is unsatisfactory, because at comparable CsA blood concentrations, the frequency and severity of adverse effects vary considerably among patients. We have therefore recently developed a precise, reliable, and robust whole-blood pharmacodynamic assay that measures the suppression of CsA-target genes in T lymphocytes. Because of the different characteristics of CsA pharmacokinetics in children and the higher propensity for infec...

Learn how to simplify coding, billing in new webinar series [CODING CORNER]

AAP News — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:01:02 +0100

(Source: AAP News)

Hospital tax not living up to billing

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

When many members of the Wisconsin business community supported a controversial state hospital tax in 2009, they did so because of assurances that the tax would be used, in part, to provide health care rate relief. But a new analysis shows the benefit to employers has been minimal. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Hospital tax not living up to billing

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Three Days Only!

Consultant Live — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Remember, time is money. Make sure that your billing office works the electronic claims transmission edit report within 3 days. (Source: Consultant Live)

When Billers Schedule . . .

Consultant Live — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Ask your billing staff to place appointment reminder calls to patients who have an account balance. (Source: Consultant Live)

Vioxx MDL Judge Grants Fee Objectors Discovery Into Billing

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:59:32 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - The federal judge supervising Vioxx multidistrict litigation on June 14 ordered Plaintiff's Liaison Counsel to turn over the records of hours submitted by common benefit counsel in connection with its application for $388 million in common benefit fees in the litigation (In Re: VIOXX Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1657, E.D. La.; See May 2010, Page 5). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News)

Trilogy to partner with Milwaukee billing firm

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Trilogy Health Networks, a Brookfield insurance company, has partnered with a local health care billing firm in hopes of becoming a larger player in the Milwaukee-area insurance market. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Trilogy to partner with Milwaukee billing firm

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Facilitating the transition to practice: a weekend retreat curriculum for business-of-medicine education of United States anesthesiology residents

Journal of Anesthesia — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:12:46 +0100

Abstract Anesthesiology residents in the United States (US) not only must develop the clinical skills needed to provide independent patient care, but also are required to become familiar with the business aspects of the modern health care system. Unfortunately, practice management education may be inadequate during anesthesiology residency training. The authors describe the design and implementation of a weekend retreat curriculum in business-of-medicine education for anesthesiology residents. Experts were recruited to discuss interviewing skills, contract law and negotiation, billing and reimbursement, insurance, malpractice, and financial planning. A strict lecture didactic format was avoided, and presentations were designed to encourage speaker–audience interaction. T...

Coding Questions? We’ve Got the Answers

Physicians Practice — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:08:49 +0100

Hospitalist admit billing; coding for pre-op exam; selecting high vs. moderate risk. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Rand Paul, Who Opposed Federal 'Handouts,' Is Criticized For Taking Medicare Patients; Other Health Politics News

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Rand Paul, a Kentucky GOP Senate candidate, sees Medicare and Medicaid patients, even as he opposes federal "handouts" and is facing criticism from his Democratic opponent for not releasing his Medicare billing records, The Associated Press reported. "Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton defended Paul's acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid payments, saying that to shun the two health care programs would 'penalize his older patients or his poor patients.' Paul said he sees patients who rely on the government programs, private insurance or who pay for their own care... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Midwest rad group reups contract with Zotec

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:20:36 +0100

McHenry Radiologists & Imaging Associates of McHenry, Ill., has renewed its software licensing contract with medical billing and practice management provider Zotec Partners for the next five years. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

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Midwest rad group reups contract with Zotec

Health Imaging News — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:20:36 +0100

Midwest rad group reups contract with Zotec

Health Imaging News — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:20:36 +0100

Medicare Will Hold Off Processing Payment Claims Until June 18

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Congress is debating a bill that would eliminate a cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians and other providers that officially went into effect June 1. Several news outlets report how the delay in congressional action has created confusion for doctors and Medicare billing procedures. CQ HealthBeat: "Medicare won't begin processing claims under a reduced payment formula for doctors until June 18, giving Congress a few more days to get its act together... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Outsource Group buys Connecticut Credit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:15:59 +0100

The Outsource Group said Tuesday it bought Connecticut Credit, a Glastonbury, Conn.-based company that provides workers’ compensation billing, follow-up and collections for the health-care industry. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Outsource Group buys Connecticut Credit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:15:59 +0100

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AMA: Delegates Adopt Balance Billing Resolution

MedPage Today Public Health — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:30:22 +0100

CHICAGO (MedPage Today) -- The American Medical Association's House of Delegates has adopted a resolution directing the doctors' group to draft legislation that would allow physicians to bill their Medicare patients for the amount of the claim that Medicare didn't cover. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

San Antonio physician charged with medical fraud

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:16:52 +0100

A San Antonio physician has been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s office with committing fraud in a $41 million health care benefit billing scheme. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

San Antonio physician charged with medical fraud

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:16:52 +0100

CombiMatrix Diagnostics Cleared to Begin Medicare Billing

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:05:00 +0100

MUKILTEO, Wash., June 15, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CombiMatrix Corporation (Nasdaq:CBMX) announced today that its laboratory services subsidiary, CombiMatrix Diagnostics, has received the final licensure documentation and approvals from Medicare in order to begin billing for its suite of array-based diagnostics tests. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Resounding Health Unites Balkanized US Government Health Information

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:54:17 +0100

“During National Health IT week (June 14-18), most of the emphasis will be on electronic health records (EHR), insurance and billing systems which will have a delayed and only indirect effect on consumers’ health and perceptions of healthcare reform. The Obama administration is spending tens of billions of dollars on health information technology (HIT) yet [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Select Medical to close Manchester office, lay off 66

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:56:58 +0100

Select Medical Corp. plans to close a Manchester, Mo., billing office for its outpatient rehabilitation business and lay off 66 workers. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Select Medical to close Manchester office, lay off 66

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:56:58 +0100

Select Medical Corp. plans to close a Manchester, Mo., billing office for its outpatient rehabilitation business and lay off 66 workers. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

North County Health Services Selects Sage Intergy CHC-EHR to Increase Reporting and Clinic Efficiency

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:39:20 +0100

Sage North America Healthcare division today announced that North County Health Services, a community health center with 53 physicians in 11 clinics based in San Marcos, Calif., has selected Sage Intergy CHC-EHR for its practice management, electronic health records and Community Health Center module that provides specialized patient management, billing and reporting needs. The Sage Intergy enterprise solution increases the efficiency of business and administrative processes including sliding-fee schedules and Uniform Data System (UDS) reporting. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Balance billing dispute settled in California

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:39:35 +0100

The agreement prohibits a hospital from charging patients for emergency costs not covered by insurance. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

Social Security Administration; Consultative Examination--Annual Onsite Review of Medical Providers

Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:00:00 +0100

The Social Security Administration is revising the threshold billing amount that triggers annual on-site reviews of medical providers who conduct consultative examinations (CEs) for our disability programs under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act). (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)

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Consultative examination--annual onsite review of medical providers. Final rules.

Fed Regist — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: We are revising the threshold billing amount that triggers annual on-site reviews of medical providers who conduct consultative examinations (CEs) for our disability programs under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act). The revision will raise the threshold amount to reflect the increase in billing amounts since we first established the threshold amount in 1991. We expect the revised threshold amount will reestablish the level of oversight activity we required under our original rules. PMID: 20535865 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Fed Regist)

Emdeon names Franklin Baumann chief medical officer

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:26:47 +0100

Nashville-based Emdeon Inc. has named Franklin Baumann to the newly created position of chief medical officer for the medical billing company. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Emdeon names Franklin Baumann chief medical officer

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:26:47 +0100

Saving Billions Of Dollars--And Physicians' Time--By Streamlining Billing Practices [Web First]

Health Affairs — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:01:11 +0100

The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient. Physicians end up using nearly 12 percent of their net patient service revenue to cover the costs of excessive administrative complexity. A single transparent set of payment rules for multiple payers, a single claim form, and standard rules of submission, among other innovations, would reduce the burden on the billing offices of physician organizations. On a national scale, our hypothetical modeling of these changes would translate into $7 billion of savings annually for physician and clinical services. Four hours of professional time per physician and five hours of practice support staff time could be saved each week. (Source: Health Affairs)

Lower limb elevation: useful and effective technique of exsanguination prior to knee arthroscopy

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:49:25 +0100

Abstract The use of a Rhys-Davies (R-D) mechanical exsanguinator prior to the application of tourniquet is routine clinical practice in knee arthroscopy. However, this technique has been reported to cause injuries and is contraindicated in conditions like malignancy and latex allergy. Lower limb elevation alone has also been described as a technique of exsanguination. We conducted a prospective audit of two groups of patients (25 each) undergoing routine knee arthroscopy comparing the practice of mechanical exsanguination (R-D) with lower limb elevation technique. Average total operative times of the two groups were similar (R-D exsanguinator-23 min, limb elevation-21 min, n.s). Time interval between tourniquet inflation and skin incision was significantly lower ...

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Neonatal Informatics--Dream of a Paperless NICU: Part Five: Putting "IT" All Together

NeoReviews recent issues — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:00:42 +0100

The promise of computer-assisted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) medical management is an intellectually global challenge. In early 2009, President Obama presented a "carrot and stick" plan to accelerate use of electronic health records. Financial incentives are offered to early adopters who meaningfully use certified systems; penalties begin in 2015 for those who do not. NICU critical care environments are extremely difficult to computerize because clinical data are time-dependent and highly variable, use repeated measures of many different elements, and run in real-time. Effective clinical computerization requires translation of complex human thinking models into software bits and bytes. All efforts require a logical, stepwise approach to designing effective databases and systems, an...

Optics Training for the New Millennium: Bridging the Gap Between the Classroom and the Dispensary

Optometry - Journal of the American Optometric Association — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

This article details how NSU College of Optometry successfully implemented an optical curriculum that prepares the next generation of optometric practitioners. (Source: Optometry - Journal of the American Optometric Association)

Radiofrequency Ablation: Evolution of a Treatment

Seminars in Vascular Surgery — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

This article specifically examines the technique of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of superficial venous insufficiency. The evolution of the catheters used in radiofrequency ablation is discussed in detail. The mechanism of action of the radiofrequency energy on the vein wall is explained. Several technical aspects of the technique, such as temperature set point and pull-back speed are described. The importance of tumescent anesthesia and its role in reducing complications are illustrated. Short- and long-term results of radiofrequency ablation are compared to results with both operative therapy or endovenous laser therapy, the results are similar if not better. Complications of radiofrequency ablation therapy are discussed, emphasizing the advent of tumescent anesthesia and the ...

Changes in Physician Billing Could Save $7 Billion Yearly

Rheumatology News — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Implementing a single set of payment rules for multiple payers with a single universal claim form and standard set of rules potentially could save $7 billion per year nationwide in fees for physician and clinical services, according to a study of one institution. (Source: Rheumatology News)

Nine signs your billing process needs improvement

Modern Medicine — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:26:49 +0100

As reimbursement declines and overhead rises, dermatologists can't afford anything short of a perfect billing and collections process. Successful billing outcomes depend on many factors, and entrusting the entire process to someone else without appropriate oversight simply isn't smart business. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Biopsy billing an important revenue source for dermatology practices

Modern Medicine — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:26:48 +0100

The biopsy is a major revenue source for dermatology practices, emphasizing the need for correct biopsy billing practices. Dermatology practices tend to make mistakes in two key areas: basing their billing on intent, and in misrepresenting services. (Source: Modern Medicine)

From Contracts to Clean Claims: Guidelines for Getting Paid

Journal of the American Dietetic Association — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:52:02 +0100

This article focuses on general guidelines for important contract and billing business practices that every RD should be aware of before signing on the dotted line. (Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association)

STATLINE Issue May 27, 2010

STATLINE Federal and State News Briefs — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:15:00 +0100

In This Issue: Breaking News: Congress Deliberates Two-Year SGR Patch - Premier Launches ACO with 70+ Hospitals - House Committee Investigating DTC Genetic Tests - Physician Advisory Panel Dismantled - Physician Groups Sue Over Red Flags Rule - Medical Groups Ask CMS to Delay Lab PECOS Enrollment Deadline - CMS Announces PQRI Adjustments - Direct Billing Update: Tennessee Law Now Covers AP - NY Assembly Votes to Ease Physician Self-Referral Prohibitions (Source: STATLINE Federal and State News Briefs)

STATLINE Issue May 27, 2010

STATLINE Federal and State News Briefs — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:15:00 +0100

Ready or Not, Tech-Savvy e-Patients are Coming

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:08:22 +0100

“The patient of the future—also known as the e-Patient—is technologically savvy, information hungry, and has a sense of entitlement about the level of service and the types of services they want. They’ll demand up-to-date, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-access information about the cost of care and billing, online appointment scheduling, the ability to e-mail their physicians, and [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Coding Questions? We’ve Got the Answers

Physicians Practice — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:49:17 +0100

Billing for hospitalists; smoking cessation documentation; patients’ paperwork; group visit codes. (Source: Physicians Practice)

New Genetic Laboratory Tests Face Complicated Hurdles to Win Reimbursement

Dark Daily — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:30:00 +0100

Health insurers not eager to establish coverage for new molecular diagnostic assays // Navigating the pathway to successful commercialization of new genetic tests and molecular diagnostic assays has proven tricky. While scientists work quickly to bring new and better clinical laboratory testing tools to the market, health insurers work at a much slower pace to issue [...] (Source: Dark Daily)

Journal Scan: Frequency of Late Drug-Eluting Stent Thrombosis With Non-Cardiac Surgery (Am J Cardiol 2010;May 17:[Epub ahead of print].)

Cardiosource — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Using billing data from two large health funds, members who had drug-eluting stent (DES) insertion (n = 9,321) with subsequent noncardiac surgery (n = 4,126) were mailed a questionnaire regarding their noncardiac procedures, antiplatelet use, and subsequent coronary events. All events were verified . . . (Source: Cardiosource)

Cortisol is a potent modulator of lipopolysaccharide-induced interferon signaling in macrophages.

Innate Immunity — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Billing AM, Fack F, Turner JD, Muller CP The effects of cortisol (CORT) on resting and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated monocyte-derived THP-1 macrophages were investigated by proteomics. Forty-seven proteins were found to be modulated, 20 by CORT, 11 by LPS, and 16 by CORT and LPS. Cortisol-sensitive chaperones and cytoskeletal proteins were mostly repressed. HCLS1, MGN, and MX1 were new proteins identified to be under the transcriptional control of this steroid and new CORT-sensitive variants of MX1, SYWC and IFIT3 were found. FKBP51, a known CORT target gene, showed the strongest response to CORT and synergism with LPS. In resting THP-1 macrophages, 18 proteins were modulated by CORT, with 15 being down-regulated. Activation of macrophages by LPS was associated with enhan...

Health data firm Outcomes to bring hundreds of jobs to ABQ

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 24 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Since 1996, Outcomes Health Information Solutions LLC has been helping insurers and health plans save money and stay accredited by searching meticulously through their records, looking for billing errors and other quality control indicators. For large health plans, that can mean tens of millions of dollars of savings. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Health data firm Outcomes to bring hundreds of jobs to ABQ

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 24 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

McKesson signs on four new practices for RMS solution

Health Imaging News — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:21:22 +0100

Healthcare services and IT company McKesson has gained four new clients who have signed on for its Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) radiology billing and practice management offering. (Source: Health Imaging News)

McKesson signs on four new practices for RMS solution

Health Imaging News — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:21:22 +0100

National Medical Billing adds partner, CEO

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:18:42 +0100

National Medical Billing Services, which provides billing and coding services for ambulatory surgery centers, said that Nader Samii has joined the firm as a partner and chief executive. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

National Medical Billing adds partner, CEO

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:18:42 +0100

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Sutter Health selects patient billing solution to improve collections

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:03:42 +0100

The Sacramento Sierra Region of Sutter Health has selected MedAssets’ patient bill estimation solution, CarePricer, to provide its patients with Patient Friendly Estimates at the point-of-access. Using the solution, Sutter Health’s seven hospitals in the region expects to better educate its patients on their responsibilities upfront to improve collections. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Hospitals Plan Joint Efforts To Increase Efficiency

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:00:00 +0100

An association of California hospitals has proposed creating a foundation to supply doctors to at least 20 of its 160 members, with more likely to join if the project takes off, The Wall Street Journal reports. The foundation "would own clinics and centralize administrative matters including billing and electronic medical records," and it shows another step in efforts to align "doctors and hospitals, a trend expected to be accelerated by the health overhaul." Critics -- including doctors and health plans -- are already worrying the move could stifle competition and drive up costs... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Frequency of Late Drug-Eluting Stent Thrombosis With Non-Cardiac Surgery

The American Journal of Cardiology — Sun, 16 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Drug-eluting stents (DES) are highly effective in reducing restenosis but have a small but significant risk for late stent thrombosis (LAST). Cessation of antiplatelet drugs for noncardiac surgery has been implicated in precipitating LAST, prompting surgery to be done on antiplatelet therapy, with all the attendant bleeding risks, or deferred until 12 months after DES implantation, despite limited data defining the risk for LAST. Using billing data from 2 large health funds, members who had DES insertion (n = 9,321) with subsequent noncardiac surgery (n = 4,126) were mailed a questionnaire regarding their noncardiac procedures, antiplatelet use, and subsequent coronary events. From 1,086 returned, 710 were suitable for inclusion, identifying 11 patients (1.5%) with perioperative myocardial...

Fined Doctor Asks For Medicare Privileges Back

Sat, 15 May 2010 03:19:36 +0100

Dr. Razzaque Ahmed at the Center for Blistering Diseases is asking that his Medicare billing priviledges be reinstated after pleading guilty to obstructing justice when he doctored paperwork so his patients on Medicare could get reimbursements for the costly $150,000 treatments which were being restricted. (Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire)

Fined Doctor Asks For Medicare Priviledges Back

Sat, 15 May 2010 02:04:08 +0100

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Poly[1,4-bis(ammoniomethyl)cyclohexane [di-μ-bromido-dibromidoplumbate(II)]]

Acta Crystallographica Section E — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

The title compound, {(C8H20N2)[PbBr4]}n, crystallizes as an inorganic–organic hybrid with alternating layers of diammonium cations and two-dimensional corner-sharing PbBr6 octahedra extending parallel to the bc plane, which are eclipsed relative to one another. Both PbBr6 octahedra and the organic cation exhibit \overline{1} symmetry. The cations interact via N—H...Br hydrogen bonding in the right-angled halogen sub-type of the terminal halide hydrogen-bonding motif. (Source: Acta Crystallographica Section E)

Poly[1,4-bis(ammoniomethyl)cyclohexane [di-μ-chlorido-dichloridoplumbate(II)]]

Acta Crystallographica Section E — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

The title compound, {(C8H20N2)[PbCl4]}n, crystallizes as an layered inorganic–organic hybrid perovskite-type structure. Corner-sharing PbCl6 octahedra extend parallel to the ac plane. Adjacent layers are staggered relative to one another, with diammonium cations separating these layers. The cations exhibit \overline{1} symmetry and interact with the inorganic sheets via N—H...Cl hydrogen bonding in the right-angled halogen sub-type of the terminal halide hydrogen-bonding motif. (Source: Acta Crystallographica Section E)

Poly[1,4-bis(ammoniomethyl)cyclohexane [di-μ-iodido-diiodidoplumbate(II)]]

Acta Crystallographica Section E — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

The title compound, {(C8H20N2)[PbI4]}n, is an inorganic–organic hybrid. The structure is composed of alternate layers of two-dimensional corner-sharing PbI6 octahedra (\overline{1} symmetry) and 1,4-bis(ammoniomethyl)cyclohexane cations (\overline{1} symmetry) extending parallel to the bc plane. The cations interact with the inorganic layer via N—H...I hydrogen bonding in the right-angled halogen sub-type of the terminal halide hydrogen-bonding motif. (Source: Acta Crystallographica Section E)

U.S. Lawmakers Investigating Home Healthcare Companies

Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:54:15 +0100

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is investigating four for-profit home healthcare agencies over billing practices lawmakers say raise questions about reimbursement from the Medicare insurance program. Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines)

HCL AXON Launches iControl, a Utility Web Enablement Solution for Customer Billing and AMI

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:55:22 +0100

HCL AXON, a division of HCL Technologies and a provider of business transformation consulting services through the innovative implementation and support of SAP applications, announces the development of iControl, a comprehensive Web Enablement and Smart Meter Application to support the emerging Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) markets for North America and abroad. iControl is a integrated offering for Utilities who want to empower their customers with AMI data to drive energy efficiency. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

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Curriculum Development: Teaching Residents How to Lead Group Visits (Michelle Domanchuk APN)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Teaching residents how to lead group medical visits under a HRSA Grant. Methods, group dynamics, recruitment, forms, progress notes for different group visits, behavioral prescription (BPPS), billing, ACGME evaluation, patient evaluation, resident surveys, clinical indicators and chart review. (Progress Note and other forms available upon request). (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Falls and follow-ups: Medical attention following a fall critical to senior health

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:30:00 +0100

Falling down is hazardous to a senior citizen's health, yet fewer than half of all seniors see a doctor after a fall. And those who don't seek medical attention are far less likely to engage in any of the six widely recommended activities — such as a review of their medications or getting a cane or walker — that might prevent repeated falls, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. In the study, researchers, using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, found that even though 91 percent of California seniors reported seeing a doctor in the past year, a fall was rarely the reason for the visit. In fact, less than half (46.6 percent) of seniors who had fallen more than once reported a fall as t...

Lawmakers investigating home healthcare companies

Reuters: Health — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:15:51 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Finance Committee is investigating four for-profit home healthcare agencies over billing practices lawmakers say raise questions about reimbursement from the Medicare insurance program. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Apria Healthcare cuts 29 jobs in Tampa

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:52:55 +0100

Apria Healthcare is eliminating 29 jobs at its billing support site in Tampa. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Apria Healthcare cuts 29 jobs in Tampa

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:52:55 +0100

Apria Healthcare is eliminating 29 jobs at its billing support site in Tampa. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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New Jersey practice outsources billing to Zotec

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:44:53 +0100

Atlantic Medical Imaging (AMI) is now outsourcing billing services to practice management company Zotec Partners. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

New Jersey practice outsources billing to Zotec

Health Imaging News — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:44:53 +0100

Atlantic Medical Imaging (AMI) is now outsourcing billing services to practice management company Zotec Partners. (Source: Health Imaging News)

New Jersey practice outsources billing to Zotec

Health Imaging News — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:44:53 +0100

Atlantic Medical Imaging (AMI) is now outsourcing billing services to practice management company Zotec Partners. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Missouri Awards School-Based Medicaid Billing Contract to Accelify - Missouri Disability News

Disabled World — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:01:08 +0100

Accelify is one of the largest and fastest growing school-based Medicaid billing agents in the country, currently serving school districts in nine states with hundreds of thousands of special education students. (Source: Disabled World)

McKesson to Help South Miami Criticare Improve Revenue Management and Drive Expansion

McKesson News — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:06:00 +0100

Practice touts McKesson’s operational expertise and proactive approach to emergency department billing and coding (Source: McKesson News)

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Medicare fraud risk created by billing loophole

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A temporary rule allows equipment claims to be processed without NPIs from referring physicians. Suppliers say this facilitates payments. OIG says it needs to stop. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

The Agenda Behind Electronic Health Records

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 10 May 2010 07:28:58 +0100

“In the nation’s drive to computerize patient records, Jonathan Bush surely qualifies as the most disgruntled beneficiary of the government’s largesse – billions in incentives to accelerate adoption by doctors and hospitals. Mr. Bush is chief executive of AthenaHealth, which offers electronic health records and billing services to physicians, using an Internet-based, software-as-a-service model. His argument [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Dead doctors still making millions from Medicare billings

NaturalNews.com — Mon, 10 May 2010 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) Medicare issued as much as $92 million in payments between 2000 and 2007 for medical procedures or devices ordered under the names of doctors who had already died, according to a 2008 Senate committee report.Prescriptions written in the names of deceased doctors are only one of the fraudulent techniques that plague the U.S. health care system, which has become a favorite target for organized crime."There are so many schemes involved," said John Gillies, a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Take any aspect of the healthcare industry and there's a fraud going on in there right now."Medicare and other healthcare fraud have been targeted as major areas for reform by politicians seeking to reduce the country's medical spending. According to the FBI, betw...

Fastrack Acquires Prometheus Group Industry Leading HME Billing Service

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:05:26 +0100

Fastrack is the leading supplier of software & technology to Home Medical Equipment, Durable Medical Equipment, Respiratory Providers, Home Infusion Pharmacies & Home Health Care Agencies. Only Fastrack offers a solution for each individual segment of Home Care as well as one system encompassing virtually every clinical, operational and financial aspect of a provider’s business, offering several or all of these product/service lines within one integrated Microsoft SQL database. (PRWeb May 8, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/05/prweb3976454.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

N,N′-Bis[(2-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methylidene]propane-1,2-diamine

Acta Crystallographica Section E — Fri, 07 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

In the the title compound, C29H26N2O2, two strong intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonds involving the hydroxy and imine groups generate S(6) ring motifs. The dihedral angles between the pairs of terminal benzene rings are 89.8 (2) and 87.8 (2)°. (Source: Acta Crystallographica Section E)

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Board Representation, Consumer Alliance Program Hot Topics at NCSC

Inside AAFP — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:30:00 +0100

Delegates to the recent AAFP National Conference of Special Constituencies, or NCSC, here April 30-May 1, took the opportunity to encourage the Academy to broaden their representation by asking for a seat on the AAFP Board of Directors. At the same time, delegates decided not to support a resolution calling on the Academy to rescind its Consumer Alliance Program contract with The Coca-Cola Company, or TCCC, and a resolution that asked the AAFP to support legislation that would allow balance billing of patients. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Changes in physician billing could save $7 billion per year

MD Consult: News: Top Stories — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Read the full story on MD Consult: Changes in physician billing could save $7 billion per year (Source: MD Consult: News: Top Stories)

Novartis AG to settle with Kentucky, other states

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:57:49 +0100

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG will pay $72.5 million to states and the federal government to settle a lawsuit accusing it of billing Medicaid programs for unapproved uses of its cystic fibrosis drug TOBI. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Novartis AG to settle with Kentucky, other states

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:57:49 +0100

Novartis to Pay $72.5 Million to Settle False Claims Suit

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:25:02 +0100

From Associated Press (May 4, 2010) SAN FRANCISCO -- Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG is paying $72.5 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit accusing it of improperly billing government programs for unapproved uses of a cystic fibrosis... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

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Finding Professional Help For Borderline Personality Disorder

Psychology Today Personality Center — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:01:25 +0100

"Finding a therapist you can work with can be tough and can take a few trials and errors before you find the right person. Therapists are human critters like everybody else and come in all shapes and sizes. Like other people, they sometimes make mistakes, give off attitude, or can at times just seem worthless. Like other people, some are smarter than others, and some are smarter at one set of things than they are about another." Glenn Johnson, PhD Finding effective treatment for borderline personality disorder can be frustrating, expensive, and emotionally trying. The demand for experienced clinicians greatly outstrips the supply.Therapists have a negative mind-set for two general reasons: first, people with BPD are one of the most challenging types of patients to treat-if not the m...

DiNapoli: New York overpaid millions in Medicaid

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:52:27 +0100

More than $150 million was wasted in out-of-state Medicaid payments because of the state’s billing system and policies, according to audits released today by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

DiNapoli: New York overpaid millions in Medicaid

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:52:27 +0100

Studies Prompt Attention To Streamlining Medical Billing

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 +0100

The Wall Street Journal reports on two different studies published recently that focus on the billing practices of doctors. One, in the New England Journal of Medicine quantifies the work done in billing at a small primary care practice. Another study done at Massachusetts General Hospital looked into the third-party billing system... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Research Roundup: Managing Nursing Home Patients, Streamlining Medical Billing, Financial Disclosures

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Health Affairs: Saving Billions Of Dollars--And Physicians' Time--By Streamlining Billing Practices - "The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient," write the authors, who analyzed Massachusetts General Physicians Organization staffing and cost data in fiscal year 2006. "In fiscal year 2006, the cost of excessive administrative complexity, including both expense and lost revenue, was nearly $45 million for this organization, or 11.9 percent of net patient revenue... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Preparing for RAC Audits

Physicians Practice — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Medicare is getting more aggressive with audits through its Recovery Audit Contractor program. Here’s how to assess your billing procedures to avoid audits, and establish a process for when a RAC does come knocking. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Who's Watching Your Cash Flow?

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Radiologists practice in a challenging environment. We are reading more examinations, often for less payment. Our business is highly regulated; there is increasing government involvement and significant penalties for fraud and abuse. Billing for our services is becoming more complex, with greater pressure to maximize payments as efficiently as possible. Given this climate, radiologists should provide greater oversight of their groups' billing activities. In this article, I discuss the billing process, focusing on what I consider to be the 5 most important performance indicators: 1) adjusted collection percentage (ACP), 2) days charges in accounts receivable (A/R), 3) A/R aging percentage over 120 days, 4) billing/collection expense percentage, and 5) billing/collection cost per procedure. ...

Joint Venture With a Hospital/Walking Away From a Small Satellite Hospital

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

The year was 1984. We were hospital based and affiliated with a single 934-bed not-for-profit hospital at the time. We were not as yet affiliated with a “hospital system.” We were self-employed, with separate billing and an exclusive contract to provide radiologic services to the hospital. We owned nothing but a few desks and computers in our business office across the street from the hospital. (Source: Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR)

[The patient billing cost in medical biology: advantages and disadvantages.]

Annales de Biologie Clinique — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

We describe the principles of this new mode of invoicing proposed by Roche Diagnostics, for which one may bring out main advantages and inconvenients. PMID: 20478774 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annales de Biologie Clinique)

Patterns of delivery of dietetic care in private practice for patients referred under Medicare Chronic Disease Management: results of a national survey.

Australian Health Review — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Cant RP A national survey was used to examine patterns of delivery of dietetic care for patients referred to private practitioners under Medicare Chronic Disease Management (CDM). This asked dietitians about referrals from general practitioners, patient management, fees charged and patient billing. There were 356 (47%) Australian private practice dietitians who responded to the questionnaire; 330 (94%) were Medicare providers. They described a counselling-type service and inability to complete initial patient education within funded consultation time. Many provided a longer consultation than was reported as being funded by Medicare. Fees for initial appointments were generally higher than the scheduled Medical Benefit Scheme fee of AU$56.25 (median $80), requiring patients to ...

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Taking aim at medical identity theft. Document security key element to comply with government regulations.

The Journal of Medical Practice Management : MPM — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

This article highlights the steps healthcare providers must take to ensure data security. PMID: 20695253 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Journal of Medical Practice Management : MPM)

How to Decipher a Hospital Bill

U.S. News - Health — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:00:00 +0100

You may need to enlist help to uncover overcharges and other billing mistakes. (Source: U.S. News - Health)

Health Affairs: Simpler billing processes could create major savings

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:06:23 +0100

The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive and inefficient, and physicians end up using nearly 12 percent of their net patient service revenue to cover the costs of excessive administrative complexity, according to an article in the April edition of Health Affairs. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Health Affairs: Simpler billing processes could create major savings

Health Imaging News — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:06:23 +0100