• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjo

Search Engine Optimization – How to Search Engine Optimize Your Web Site
Generating website traffic is very important for the websites. There is a lot of competition in the online world of trade as the number of websites is great. In this situation every website needs to secure its place and its market share by marketing and promotional efforts. If these efforts are made in the right direction the website will get lots of traffic. As a result the business will grow. To get more online traffic it is a must that your web site is search engine optimized. You can do that in two steps.The first and the most important thing in this regard is to rearrange the content of your website. The content of your website must be search engine optimized. If it is optimized for the search engine and it has a lot of keywords embedded in it, the chances of your websites being picked up by the search engine if any one carries out a search increase. In this way you can ensure traffic.You can also submit your website to the search engines. In this way the chances of your website of getting a lot of traffic increase. If your website gets more traffic, you will get more business. Also, you can place the links of your website at the proper places on the web. That will ensure that the search engine will pick you up whenever a search is carried out on any related field. Thus search engine optimization can improve the situation of your business for you.

Physical therapy billing is often misunderstood and taken for granted by most private practices which result in thousands of dollars lost each month, if not more. Proper PT billing and CPT coding can make or break a practice. Those who know rehab billing secrets and techniques and do it well are more successful overall. Those who do not fully understand billing for physical therapy don't do as well.

What You Don't Know Will Hurt You!

Your billing system is the life blood of your private practice. The billing system keeps the revenue flowing that in turn keeps the business going. Most physical therapists want to treat patients and not deal with the billing. They think it's a "headache" and would rather dump it off on someone like a billing service or company or an employee. As a result of this mentality most practices across the country are losing out on a lot of money! The typical practice collects only 40% of what they should be and could be collecting. Billing is more than generating a claim with diagnosis codes and CPT codes. It is much more than that.

What the Most Successful Practices are Doing

1. They get all the right tools. They don't use borrowed (stolen) forms from past employers and copy someone making a lot of mistakes. They don't use MediSoft, Lytec, TurboPT, PTOS, or Clinicient. Instead they have...

 Good Software with few bells and whistles.
 Good Patient Intake/Registration Form .
 Good Assignment of benefits (AOB) form containing important legal language. It should secure legal rights from the patient allowing you to deposit checks made out in their name, file a complaint with the insurance commissioner on their behalf, receive checks directly from the insurance company on their behalf (even when their policy states otherwise. A good AOB will give you solid legal recourse should the insurance company or the patient ever try to evade payment.
 Good New patient interview form.
 Good Fee slip that's easy to read and understand.

2. They present a bill and collect patient portions at the time of service. They don't waive and discount co-pays and deductibles. Which is illegal without documented financial hardship.

 A good staff member handles the new patient interview with professionalism and tact and the patient is made aware of their financial responsibilities, not a minimum wage receptionist.
 All pertinent personal and insurance information is gathered at initial interview and/or first appointment.
 Services and codes are strategically chosen based on the type of insurance the patient has and the payer rules.
 Modifiers are applied to maximize billing. All staff are trained well on how to use them.
 Patients are presented with a bill with their portions clearly stated and they pay that day.
 The billing person receives the charges and codes daily.

3. They collect insurance portions within 60 days! They don't accept insurance company stall tactics such as, "we don't have record of your claim", "it's being processed", "we need more information", "it wasn't medically necessary", etc. They apply the state and federal provider rights laws and get paid fast.

 Billing data is input into the computer timely
 The AOB is manually sent to the insurance company payer
 Bills are generated and submitted electronically. Electronic claims are paid within 14 days whereas paper claims can take as long as 60-90 days.
 If payment is not made within 30-45 days, a tracer is sent with a notice warning of a possible complaint with the insurance commissioner.

4. They collect 90-100% of Billed Charges! They don't accept denials of any kind such as, "Untimely submission", "Not UCR", "Not Medically Necessary", "No Benefits", and "We sent the check to the patient so go after the patient", etc.

 Appeal letters are sent to the insurance company in response to all denials. (View sample)
 The insurance commissioner and patient are sent a "CC" (copy) of that letter.
 If a reimbursement check is sent to the patient, a demand is made to issue another check referencing the instructions made on the AOB form.
 When a request for "more information" is requested, they charge the insurance company a medical request fee ($35) so they stop using that stall tactic with them. And much, much more...
 If a patient has an outstanding balance owed they don't use weak collection letters, bargain, or write-off the debt. They use collection letters that work and encourage the patient to do the right thing which is to pay the debt!
 They have payment plans available for their patients that are easily setup and administered.
 They make sure to charge patient coinsurance/co-pay's at the time of service each and every visit!

5. They maximize reimbursement! They don't bill every patient exactly the same way. They don't just bill ther-ex, manual therapy, ice and ems (97110, 97140, 97010, 97014) with every patient for a mere $79 reimbursement.

 They use modifiers like -59 and -22 to get paid more for those patients who require more time and energy to treat, such as the patient who c/o neck, shoulder, back, buttock and knee pain.
 They also use the modifier -52 for when services are reduced.

6. They preserve patient loyalty They don't allow insurance companies to maliciously splice the relationship between provider and patient by using derogatory language such as "Fee's are excessive for that geographic region", "Fees are Not usual, customary, or reasonable", "Services rendered were unnecessary or not professional".

 Template letters are sent to insurance companies every time they use derogatory language in the Explanation of Benefits statements to patients/providers.
 The insurance commissioner and patient are sent a "CC" (copy) of that letter.
 They collect patient coinsurance/co-pays at the time of each visit so the patient won't have to later pay a lump-sum-bill three weeks after discharge which most people can't pay and quickly come to resent.

Studies show that patients who owe you money are more likely to file a malpractice suit against you. Studies also show that patients who pay something out-of-pocket for their healthcare services each visit get better faster.

Billing Options Available

1. Contracting out to an independent medical billing service

Most of the so called "medical billing services" are stay-at-home moms who took a weekend course on "How to Make $40,000/yr Working From Home". They learn how to purchase software, collect and input data and submit claims. They're also taught how to print business cards and present themselves as a professional organization. The problem is most of these individuals have little to no experience.

PROS Cheaper and more personable. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS Lacks experience. Most likely won't know how to appeal denials or respond to stalling tactics. Most likely paying for simple data entry.

CHARACTERISTICS

• No setup fee.

• 4-10% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very good about updating you on status of claims and collections

• Reports are not very good

Results typically are 40-50% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most do not know how to appeal denials, file complaints with the insurance commissioner, respond to derogatory language in EOB's, train your staff on modifiers and good coding for different type of payers, or respond well to insurance company tactics on stalling and refusing payment--all the things that make a billing system great.

If you want to find a decent billing person, one who is organized and knows the basics, ask them these questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• What type of billing software do you use? Is it HIPAA compliant?

• How will you collect the charge/patient data from me?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

2. Large Medical Billing Companies

The larger medical billing companies usually work with many providers and have many accounts. They typically have more experience but that is no guarantee they know how to go beyond data entry, claims submissions and payment postings either. There is not much money in it for them to appeal denied claims because it takes human resource and time to write letters, make phone calls, and submit complaints. They would much rather do the simple data entry and get their percentages from that.

PROS Reports are better. They have more experience. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS More expensive. Probably won't do all appeals, letters to insurance commissioner and patients especially if you are a small account (less than $10,000 per month).

CHARACTERISTICS

• Setup fee

• 8-15% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by website log-in, fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very personable

Results typically are 30% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most will not file complaints with the insurance commissioner or respond to derogatory language in EOB's.

If you want to find a good billing company, one that appeals denials, files complaints with the insurance commissioner, provides detailed reports of claims submitted monthly, claims paid monthly, and aging reports with 30-60-90-120 day statuses then make sure to screen them well. Ask the following questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjoy

A Hurricane of Personal Technologies in the Near Future
Personal technologies are very interesting and if you read the personal Tech Newsletters and magazines they are quite popular with the techie crowd and more and more the mainstream reader. There always seems to be something new and something to write about in personal Tech.This is great for the personal tech enthusiast who loves high-tech toys and it is great for retailers who sell them. In a future you can expect a hurricane and a flurry of personal technologies and this is because the competition to create new innovative toys and inventions, which help people do what they do better it is becoming a major industry.There are many great places on the Internet to go to learn about Personal Tech and the latest and greatest toys and gadgets available. Often it is hard to keep up with the hurricane of new personal technologies that come out each week. Many other nations besides the United States of America have also jumped on the bandwagon and are now producing very innovative and creative new technologies.Soon we will see the robotic android artificial intelligent robots that we were promised by science-fiction writers of the past. The future is here and the future is now and as long as it is hurricane season we may as well talk about the hurricane of excitement in personal technologies. Consider this in 2006.

nd/or first appointment.
 Services and codes are strategically chosen based on the type of insurance the patient has and the payer rules.
 Modifiers are applied to maximize billing. All staff are trained well on how to use them.
 Patients are presented with a bill with their portions clearly stated and they pay that day.
 The billing person receives the charges and codes daily.

3. They collect insurance portions within 60 days! They don't accept insurance company stall tactics such as, "we don't have record of your claim", "it's being processed", "we need more information", "it wasn't medically necessary", etc. They apply the state and federal provider rights laws and get paid fast.

 Billing data is input into the computer timely
 The AOB is manually sent to the insurance company payer
 Bills are generated and submitted electronically. Electronic claims are paid within 14 days whereas paper claims can take as long as 60-90 days.
 If payment is not made within 30-45 days, a tracer is sent with a notice warning of a possible complaint with the insurance commissioner.

4. They collect 90-100% of Billed Charges! They don't accept denials of any kind such as, "Untimely submission", "Not UCR", "Not Medically Necessary", "No Benefits", and "We sent the check to the patient so go after the patient", etc.

 Appeal letters are sent to the insurance company in response to all denials. (View sample)
 The insurance commissioner and patient are sent a "CC" (copy) of that letter.
 If a reimbursement check is sent to the patient, a demand is made to issue another check referencing the instructions made on the AOB form.
 When a request for "more information" is requested, they charge the insurance company a medical request fee ($35) so they stop using that stall tactic with them. And much, much more...
 If a patient has an outstanding balance owed they don't use weak collection letters, bargain, or write-off the debt. They use collection letters that work and encourage the patient to do the right thing which is to pay the debt!
 They have payment plans available for their patients that are easily setup and administered.
 They make sure to charge patient coinsurance/co-pay's at the time of service each and every visit!

5. They maximize reimbursement! They don't bill every patient exactly the same way. They don't just bill ther-ex, manual therapy, ice and ems (97110, 97140, 97010, 97014) with every patient for a mere $79 reimbursement.

 They use modifiers like -59 and -22 to get paid more for those patients who require more time and energy to treat, such as the patient who c/o neck, shoulder, back, buttock and knee pain.
 They also use the modifier -52 for when services are reduced.

6. They preserve patient loyalty They don't allow insurance companies to maliciously splice the relationship between provider and patient by using derogatory language such as "Fee's are excessive for that geographic region", "Fees are Not usual, customary, or reasonable", "Services rendered were unnecessary or not professional".

 Template letters are sent to insurance companies every time they use derogatory language in the Explanation of Benefits statements to patients/providers.
 The insurance commissioner and patient are sent a "CC" (copy) of that letter.
 They collect patient coinsurance/co-pays at the time of each visit so the patient won't have to later pay a lump-sum-bill three weeks after discharge which most people can't pay and quickly come to resent.

Studies show that patients who owe you money are more likely to file a malpractice suit against you. Studies also show that patients who pay something out-of-pocket for their healthcare services each visit get better faster.

Billing Options Available

1. Contracting out to an independent medical billing service

Most of the so called "medical billing services" are stay-at-home moms who took a weekend course on "How to Make $40,000/yr Working From Home". They learn how to purchase software, collect and input data and submit claims. They're also taught how to print business cards and present themselves as a professional organization. The problem is most of these individuals have little to no experience.

PROS Cheaper and more personable. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS Lacks experience. Most likely won't know how to appeal denials or respond to stalling tactics. Most likely paying for simple data entry.

CHARACTERISTICS

• No setup fee.

• 4-10% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very good about updating you on status of claims and collections

• Reports are not very good

Results typically are 40-50% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most do not know how to appeal denials, file complaints with the insurance commissioner, respond to derogatory language in EOB's, train your staff on modifiers and good coding for different type of payers, or respond well to insurance company tactics on stalling and refusing payment--all the things that make a billing system great.

If you want to find a decent billing person, one who is organized and knows the basics, ask them these questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• What type of billing software do you use? Is it HIPAA compliant?

• How will you collect the charge/patient data from me?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

2. Large Medical Billing Companies

The larger medical billing companies usually work with many providers and have many accounts. They typically have more experience but that is no guarantee they know how to go beyond data entry, claims submissions and payment postings either. There is not much money in it for them to appeal denied claims because it takes human resource and time to write letters, make phone calls, and submit complaints. They would much rather do the simple data entry and get their percentages from that.

PROS Reports are better. They have more experience. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS More expensive. Probably won't do all appeals, letters to insurance commissioner and patients especially if you are a small account (less than $10,000 per month).

CHARACTERISTICS

• Setup fee

• 8-15% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by website log-in, fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very personable

Results typically are 30% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most will not file complaints with the insurance commissioner or respond to derogatory language in EOB's.

If you want to find a good billing company, one that appeals denials, files complaints with the insurance commissioner, provides detailed reports of claims submitted monthly, claims paid monthly, and aging reports with 30-60-90-120 day statuses then make sure to screen them well. Ask the following questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjo

Three Most Important Steps for Effective Marketing
So many people come to me asking why their products and services are not doing well. I wonder if they ever had any experiences with effective marketing. I always ask them just three simple questions and they get their answer within those simple questions.I tell them no big thing, just simple things which I guess each and everyone involved in business must ask himself/herself. And I am very sure there is nothing alien about the things I tell them and most of the people already know them. The problem lies in the fact that we all tend to overlook some basic things in excitement of doing something BIG. I cam across so many people who launched their online business and websites with lot of enthusiasm and within weeks they quit because of not getting success as they expected. First of all, I would like to emphasize on the fact that it’s almost rare to get success within few days of starting any business and the saddest part is that almost 90% of the people quit after not getting success in initial days and assume that their business failed even if there was huge potential in whatever they tried.Some people have a natural flavor of business and they understand the basics well but most of the people are attracted towards business due to glamour and quick money but they forget the most important things – Hard Work & Dedication. Well let’s come back to the topic we are interested in. Here are the 3 simple facts which each & every person who is starting a new venture must consider. I will not be surprised if after reading them you say – “What’s new in this? Everyone knows that!” I completely agree with you my dear friends, there is nothing ne

ex, manual therapy, ice and ems (97110, 97140, 97010, 97014) with every patient for a mere $79 reimbursement.

 They use modifiers like -59 and -22 to get paid more for those patients who require more time and energy to treat, such as the patient who c/o neck, shoulder, back, buttock and knee pain.
 They also use the modifier -52 for when services are reduced.

6. They preserve patient loyalty They don't allow insurance companies to maliciously splice the relationship between provider and patient by using derogatory language such as "Fee's are excessive for that geographic region", "Fees are Not usual, customary, or reasonable", "Services rendered were unnecessary or not professional".

 Template letters are sent to insurance companies every time they use derogatory language in the Explanation of Benefits statements to patients/providers.
 The insurance commissioner and patient are sent a "CC" (copy) of that letter.
 They collect patient coinsurance/co-pays at the time of each visit so the patient won't have to later pay a lump-sum-bill three weeks after discharge which most people can't pay and quickly come to resent.

Studies show that patients who owe you money are more likely to file a malpractice suit against you. Studies also show that patients who pay something out-of-pocket for their healthcare services each visit get better faster.

Billing Options Available

1. Contracting out to an independent medical billing service

Most of the so called "medical billing services" are stay-at-home moms who took a weekend course on "How to Make $40,000/yr Working From Home". They learn how to purchase software, collect and input data and submit claims. They're also taught how to print business cards and present themselves as a professional organization. The problem is most of these individuals have little to no experience.

PROS Cheaper and more personable. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS Lacks experience. Most likely won't know how to appeal denials or respond to stalling tactics. Most likely paying for simple data entry.

CHARACTERISTICS

• No setup fee.

• 4-10% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very good about updating you on status of claims and collections

• Reports are not very good

Results typically are 40-50% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most do not know how to appeal denials, file complaints with the insurance commissioner, respond to derogatory language in EOB's, train your staff on modifiers and good coding for different type of payers, or respond well to insurance company tactics on stalling and refusing payment--all the things that make a billing system great.

If you want to find a decent billing person, one who is organized and knows the basics, ask them these questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• What type of billing software do you use? Is it HIPAA compliant?

• How will you collect the charge/patient data from me?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

2. Large Medical Billing Companies

The larger medical billing companies usually work with many providers and have many accounts. They typically have more experience but that is no guarantee they know how to go beyond data entry, claims submissions and payment postings either. There is not much money in it for them to appeal denied claims because it takes human resource and time to write letters, make phone calls, and submit complaints. They would much rather do the simple data entry and get their percentages from that.

PROS Reports are better. They have more experience. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS More expensive. Probably won't do all appeals, letters to insurance commissioner and patients especially if you are a small account (less than $10,000 per month).

CHARACTERISTICS

• Setup fee

• 8-15% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by website log-in, fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very personable

Results typically are 30% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most will not file complaints with the insurance commissioner or respond to derogatory language in EOB's.

If you want to find a good billing company, one that appeals denials, files complaints with the insurance commissioner, provides detailed reports of claims submitted monthly, claims paid monthly, and aging reports with 30-60-90-120 day statuses then make sure to screen them well. Ask the following questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjo

Are Your Meetings Smart?
Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to accomplish more in less time every day, Roger shook my hand and said, “I can use what you said. But there is one thing you didn’t talk about. It is something that drives me crazy. I can’t get anything done because I’m in meetings all day long. We have gone overboard on meetings. We discuss practically everything as a team before making decisions.” I asked Roger for his card and I called him later that afternoon with some ideas that could help get him and his team out of their meetings trap.Don’t let meetings keep you from getting your work accomplished. It’s not uncommon for meetings to claim more than 50% of a business owner’s or manager’s time, especially when you factor in waiting time, discussion that is unfocused, and appointments that have to be rescheduled. Many key businesspeople claim meetings are their biggest time waster. Can anything be done? Yes. Here are five smart tips to streamline meetings and minimize the potential disruption they cause:1. Have an agenda and distribute it ahead of time. Make sure everyone knows ahead of time what is to be accomplished at every meeting. People can do their homework, which will make discussion more meaningful. Less time will be wasted watching others “gather their thoughts.”2. Start and end on time. Being flexible for latecomers backfires -- it penalizes the on-time people. It also sends a subtle signal to everyone that deadlines are merely suggestions, which can cause all sorts of disruptions later.3. Take minutes at every meeting and include follow-up assignments. Be sure to identify who will do what and by when. This

lly are 40-50% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most do not know how to appeal denials, file complaints with the insurance commissioner, respond to derogatory language in EOB's, train your staff on modifiers and good coding for different type of payers, or respond well to insurance company tactics on stalling and refusing payment--all the things that make a billing system great.

If you want to find a decent billing person, one who is organized and knows the basics, ask them these questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• What type of billing software do you use? Is it HIPAA compliant?

• How will you collect the charge/patient data from me?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

2. Large Medical Billing Companies

The larger medical billing companies usually work with many providers and have many accounts. They typically have more experience but that is no guarantee they know how to go beyond data entry, claims submissions and payment postings either. There is not much money in it for them to appeal denied claims because it takes human resource and time to write letters, make phone calls, and submit complaints. They would much rather do the simple data entry and get their percentages from that.

PROS Reports are better. They have more experience. Allows you time to market and advertise your services.

CONS More expensive. Probably won't do all appeals, letters to insurance commissioner and patients especially if you are a small account (less than $10,000 per month).

CHARACTERISTICS

• Setup fee

• 8-15% of gross reimbursements.

• They collect patient info and billing by website log-in, fax, Fed-Ex, or PC Anywhere

• Not very personable

Results typically are 30% of money lost by falling through the cracks and never getting appealed and collected. Most will not file complaints with the insurance commissioner or respond to derogatory language in EOB's.

If you want to find a good billing company, one that appeals denials, files complaints with the insurance commissioner, provides detailed reports of claims submitted monthly, claims paid monthly, and aging reports with 30-60-90-120 day statuses then make sure to screen them well. Ask the following questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjo

Grants vs. Contracts
Commonly folks have asked me what the technical difference is between a contract and a grant. The difference is not about the dollar value or who the buying entity is nor the kind of work being done. Instead it is about the legal concept of default. In my eyes, the corner stone of whether something should be called a grant or a contract lies in whether one is legally bound to produce results as one is in a contractual relationship or whether you are simply granted funds to do something. Did you get that nuance? Perhaps that is oversimplifying it.Essentially, a contract is a legally binding document in which the parties make promises to deliver a product or service in exchange for consideration (usually money.) A grant on the other hand is when one party grants funds to another party to do something, in reasonable hopes that the task can be accomplished. If the task is accomplished – great, everyone is happy and it could lead to more grant funding! On the flip side, if the task is not accomplished there are most likely no legal ramifications (assuming you have broken no other laws) as would be the case in a contract.If we were to compare and contrast the two mechanisms we would say that a contract has two parties exchanging promises where one party delivers and one party pays. A grant however has two parties where one party gives the money and one party performs the objectives in hopes of achieving them. Do you see the difference now?In summary, the difference between the two mechanisms – grant vs. contract mainly deals with the legal concept of default. If you do not deliver under a contract you are in “default” and can reason

ollowing questions:

• Do you have any physical or occupational therapy billing accounts now?

• Can I contact them for reference?

• Can you send me a sample of 3 reports?...monthly claims submitted, monthly paid items posted, aging report on every outstanding claim.

• How will you collect the billing/patient data?

• Will you teach me code strategies for each payer type (ie. workers comp, blue cross, medicare, medpay, etc)?

• Do you appeal denials?

• Can I see sample appeal letters that you use?

• Do you ever send patients letters? If so, what and can I see a sample?

• How do I ask you questions? What are your support hours?

Prices are always negotiable with outside billing companies and independents but be ready to pay if you want them to do everything listed above.

3. In-house billing where an employee does the billing

I recommend doing billing in-house with an employee after a year of solid marketing, advertising, and promoting your practice. Most owners do not have the time necessary to do both adequately (as well as treat patients). If you are considering hiring an employee to do the billing be prepared to learn the in's and out's first. Even if the employee boasts about knowing billing. It's a good idea to learn it yourself, setup the system, and work closely with the employee until they demonstrate competency.

No one will go after the money owed to you and look out for the welfare of your business like you.

PROS More control over the system. Better collection rates. If monthly billing is more than $20,000/month you will save money by using an employee versus an outside service. They can also assume other admin tasks.

CONS Takes time to learn the system and set it up.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Employee wages

• Employer taxes

• More control over billing procedures Results typically are less than 10% of money lost. Less money will fall through the cracks and get lost. Complaints with the insurance commissioner will get filed and derogatory language in EOB's will get responded to.

If you want to find a good employee, one that will do the job well, you may want to hire someone who tried to start an independent billing service at one time. It's not necessary but they may already know the basics. Ask them these questions?

• Do you have any experience with medical billing?

• How much do you think this job should pay? Look for someone in the $12/hr or more range.

• What type of work do you enjoy more, office work or person-to-person work?

Learn more ways to get paid better and succeed in private practice>>> http://indefree.com