Many of you have asked for a training class.  You got it! Starting September 17th we have a 12 week intensive training going through October 29th.  There will be six, 2-hour training sessions and a book is included.  Here are some of the topics covered:

• The three patient parties that may be affected by every patient visit; patient, guarantor and insured.  The proper way to enter these into Medisoft.  (Are you sending statements to minors?)
• Managing insurance balances and how to handle contract insurance versus non-contract insurance.  (This will save hours of follow-up time!)
• Using the Collection List to automate your follow-up process.  And, it's all paperless!  (This process allows you to do an even amount of accounts each day.)
• How to create a good backup system.  Protect your data!
• The importance of File Maintenance and how/when to run it.
• All this plus we review the details of all the tasks you should (even if you don't know you should) do on a daily basis. 

     To sign up, print and fax back page 4 of our Fall  Newsletter.  Our Fall Newsletter is hot off the press and can be view at www.billingbuddies.com.

 

It's been over 3 years since we all started using the NPI numbers and the new claim form.  Doesn't time fly?  One of the complicating factors to this transition is many Medisoft users got left behind and had to learn not only the new claim form and NPI numbers, they needed to learn three or four or more versions. 

     I keep hearing from long time Medisoft clients that they miss the Medisoft DOS program.  I'm from the DOS days too and miss the sweet simplistic program.  I can even tell you the date the DOS program was no longer support; December 1, 2000.  At the time, we had about 30 clinics we were billing for on DOS and I felt to be a responsible business owner, I needed to move everyone to a "supported" version of Medisoft.  Plus, Joey Borane, the head of Medisoft at the time kept telling us not to get "left behind".   I wasn't quite convinced of it at the time, but in retrospect, I can't imagine the hurdles to come with the new Windows Operating System and health care changes; HIPAA EDI,  HIPAA privacy, HIPAA security, NPI, new claim form, ANSI- 5010  and ICD-10.  Uhggg!

     Why do software companies (and hardware) keep upgrading?  Short answer:  to keep up with technology and health care changes.  And, you really don't need Medisoft or SpringCharts; they are really just "tools" no different than a hammer to a carpenter.    Really, just different name brands to get your job done.  But, why would you want to buy Medisoft and SpringCharts; longevity, pricing and functionality.  What does that mean?  Well, look at other programs and compare the price and how long they have been in existence.  Then, take a look at the program and see how well it works. 

      Plus, remember, that any program (like a hammer) will have a learning curve.  Throw me on top of a roof with a hammer and ask me to do a roofing job.  How long would it take for me to be proficient?  (Don’t ask my husband…he’ll say never!)

     Version 16 of Medisoft was a very clean program.  It had many health care and technology changes in it.  It will work with the new 64 bit OS of Vista and Windows 7 and it has the first big step of changing the PINS tables for the new ANSI 5010 EDI format that prepares us for the ICD-10.  These big changes are happening in all software programs.  (Hopefully…or they will be OOB – out of business!)

    We adopted the use of SpringCharts first of all because it fit our client base.  It is the least expensive certified EHR program on the market; by cost less than half….including the annual support fees; a “must have” by all EHR programs.  Plus, it syncs with Medisoft and they have great flexibility for changing templates on the fly and been around over 10 years.   And, in August, for the first time, they are offering 20% off on the heels of the Final Rules being released on July 13, 2010. 

      Finally, keep in mind that with all software, change is a must because of the changes in our industry.  But, compare pricing, functionality and longevity.

Happy Billing and Charting,

Bonnie J. Flom, CMRS

 Author of Mastering Medisoft

President of Minnesota AMBA Chapter

Billing Buddies

8459 10th Ave N

Golden Valley, MN  55427

Phone:  763-546-2455  Fax:  866-506-9681

  

     More states and insurance companies are requiring electronic claims.  This throws a twist in the billing if you need to cancel a claim or replace it.  On paper, you would send a letter and/or a correct claim.  How do you do this electronically?

1)  First, you need to be sending claims electronically using the ANSI 837 format.  (Print image formats look exactly like the paper claim and does not offer the additional fields (aka loops and segments) needed.

2)  Next, you need to populate Loop 2300 Segment CLM05-3.  There are three types of claims that can be in this loop/segment:

         1 = Original Claim  (automatically sent by Medisoft)
         7 = Replacement Claim (enter in Frequency Code)
         8 = Cancel Claim (enter in Frequency Code)

3)  The Frequency Code is found Claims Management.  After editing a claim, enter the proper code (7 or 8) in the Frequency box at the bottom of the screen.

    If you need a program to send your claims in the ANSI 837 format, we have one we love!   Give us a call and we will tell you all about it. 

Happy Billing and Charting,
Bonnie J. Flom, CMRS
Author of Mastering Medisoft
Phone: 763-546-2455
Billing Buddies

     Many have posed the question, how do you send secondary claims electronically?  Or, for that matter, how do you send attachment information or cancel and replacement claims electronically? 
     To answer this question, first it is important to recognize there are two ways to send electronic claims; print image or ANSI 4010.  If you are sending in the print image format (and the clearinghouse is converting to an ANSI 4010), you need to ask yourself in which box would you put this additional payment information on the CMS-1500 form?  If your answer is, I couldn't.  I would have in the past attached a piece of paper to the claim, then your answer is you can't send secondary, attachment or cancel and replacement claims electronically using a print image file.
     So, that leaves us to the ANSI 4010 format.  If you are converting your claims from Medisoft (or another software) to the ANSI 4010 format then you need to answer two questions: 1)  Which loop or segment in the ANSI 4010 do I need to put this information? (you usually need to get this from the insurance carrier requesting the attachment or look in the ANSI 4010 guide) and 2)  Where do I put it in my software?   For Medisoft, it's easy to find where to put the information, go to Help on the top menu bar within the program, click on Medisoft Help (first option down) and then in the Index tab enter the Loop and Segment you need and there is a crosswalk showing where to put the information into Medisoft.  If you have another software program, you need to ask the software vendor for a ANSI 4010 crosswalk.
     Finally, how do you get the ANSI 4010 format?  For Medisoft, it's really simple, it's called the Simple 837 format and the price is $495.  Included with your purchase, Billing Buddies will install, register and train you how to transmit your claims.  From start to finish, it takes about one hour to review the process.  To get started, call us at 888-322-2455. 

Happy Billing and Charting,

Bonnie J. Flom

Medisoft really has a big job to do to prepare for the ANSI 5010 format that is preparing for the ICD-10 format.  This HUGE change is going to happen sooner in the future that NPI and CMS-1500 was in the past.  So, V16 started the first of the big changes to come and the claim form was the first area to show a big change.  If you use the claim form that Medisoft has programmed, CMS-1500 and preview a few of your claims, you will see they have already done the work to remap the fields.  Using this, you have choose between three options; 1) You can use the Medisoft form and line it up if needed through Design Custom Reports, 2)  You can take your custom report that is already lined up and change the fields that are error to match the newly created CMS-1500 form or 3) You can schedule support time and have it take care of by one of our Billing Buddies.   Or, a fourth option would be to scrap the whole paper claim idea and go to electronic claims.  Billing Buddies can help with that as well.  It hasn't been released yet, but I suspect that electronic claims may be the required format for ICD-10 codes.  If not, here comes yet another claim form!

Happy Billing and Charting!
Bonnie J. Flom, CMRS
Phone: 888-322-2455
Billing Buddies

 

           

Today Governor Pawlenty declared for the State of Minnesota to be Medical Biller’s Day. 

 

Click here to see the signed copy of Governor Pawlenty’s Proclamation:  http://www.billinganswer.com/Files/MBD.PDF

 

Click here to see the Press Release:  http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/governor-tim-pawlenty-issues-proclamation,1220181.shtml

 

            Today is the day to acknowledge all of your hard working medical billers.  If you live in another state, please Google and see if your Governor has done the same.

 

Best Regards,

 

Bonnie J. Flom, CMRS

Author of Mastering Medisoft

Medical Billing and Electronic Records Professional

Phone:  (888) 322-2455 or (763) 546-2455

Fax:  (866) 506-9681

 

 

      As we can all guess, CMS has issued a delay for the the compliance deadline for its "PECOS enrollment policy" until January 1, 2011.  Under the policy, physicians who have not updated their Medicare enrollment information during the previous five years will be required to complete another enrollment application or risk denial of Medicare payments for services rendered because they are not currently enrolled in Medicare's web-based "PECOS" enrollment database.  This change gives physicians an additional 9 months to comply by reenrolling in the Medicare program.   Here's the place to go to enroll:  PECOS  and to check if you are already enrolled click here:  Enrollment.   You will need your original NPI login; both User Name and Password.  If you have lost them, there is a phone number on the link to retrieve it. 

      Check out our new website at:  www.billingbuddies.net.

 

Happy Billing and Charting,

Bonnie J. Flom; Author of Mastering Medisoft

Ph: 888-322-2455 or 763-546-2455

 

Here's a link to the prompt pay laws by state.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://www.billinganswer.com/Files/PromptPayState.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEovmAyi7-13iEIX7c_DYhs_dkFPw

This will help with your follow-up endeavors.

Want more good information?  Join our Google Group at Medisoft and Medical Billing User Group.

Happy Billing and Charting,
Bonnie J. Flom, Author of Mastering Medisoft
Phone:  763-546-2455 or 888-322-2455

  Our Winter Newsletter is hot off the press.  Here's some of the information contained within:

1)  Version 16 of Medisoft

2)  Get Your Share of the Incentive Money

3)  Clinic in a Cloud

4)  It's Simple

5)  Billing Buddies Partners

6)  Billing Service

7)  New Book?

8)  Food for Thought

9)  ICD-10 Codes