Think About Future While Buying Medical Insurance

Buying a health insurance plan can be an expensive affair, but not buying it is even more expensive, when it comes to life. Simply put, if you do not have medical insurance, you will have to pay for all medical expenses by yourself. In case of medical emergencies, people may find it difficult to generate enough cash on time. On such occasions, medical insurance will come in handy.

In India, over the last few years the market for medical insurance, along with travel insurance has increased in terms of size and customers. Nowadays, even travel insurance plans offer medical insurance as part of their insurance package. These kinds of health insurance plan are synonymous with the offers of a travel insurance cover.

Coverage for various medical expenses, in case of emergencies or accidents, are provided by several mediclaim policies. Accident insurance, which acts as a rider, is provided under medical insurance. People, who think that they do not need a medical insurance, are the kind that may be under the delusion that they may never get sick or get hurt. However, unfortunate or unforeseen circumstances can occur at any time and to anyone. In such circumstances, a medical insurance can prove to be beneficial, especially when it is an emergency.

Typically, an average health insurance plan provides cover for doctor's bills, hospital room expenses, cost of minor surgeries, laboratory tests, X-rays, mental health care and emergency health care. In some case, a health plan may also provide cover for nursing home care, prescription drugs, and use of durable medical equipments, eye-care, and dental care.

In rare cases, a health insurance plan can also provide cover for education programs and support groups. Alcohol de-addiction programs, programs to stop smoking or substance abuse are covered under special types of health insurance. There are sophisticated plans that provide you with your doctor, in the form a relationship manager. In case the insured is admitted in a hospital, the assigned relationship manager will take care of all formalities and provide assistance with treatment.

Cashless services, at hospitals, are another feature. Under the mediclaim plan, the insured is given a card. This card in turn will act like a credit card of sorts. Upon the presentation, the hospital is authorized to go ahead with treatment, despite cash. The insurance company will then proceed to reimburse the hospital for all the expenses, based on the conditions stipulations of the medical insurance policy.

Finally, it is wise to buy a health insurance plan, as emergencies pertaining to health can occur at any time. Most of all choose a health plan that best suit your needs and the one that can provide you with adequate coverage against financial risks that can arise out of medical emergencies.

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process   

6 Reasons to Think About SSI Disability

If you or someone you know has an interest in SSI disability, there are a great deal of things that need to be taken into consideration. Indeed, SSI disability is something that should always have a great deal of thought put into it for best results. In fact, there is really no way to go about it without taking everything into consideration before you start making important steps. In order to ensure that you're on the right path with SSI disability, you'll want to consider the six things that follow; all of which can help to point you in the right direction no matter what your prior history.

If you want to go about getting SSI disability, you have to dispel the myth that it is extremely confusing. In fact, implementing disability insurance isn't nearly as difficult and confusing as it is often thought to be; it's quite straight-forward, actually. All you really have to do is put the right amount of effort into the process, which can dramatically increase your ability to do well when it comes to getting SSI.

SSI disability is something that might not actually apply to you. A lot of people don't realize that they may or may not be candidates for SSI disability depending upon the circumstances. If you have a good idea as of whether or not you are a candidate, you'll be well on your way towards taking the next steps.

Taking with a professional via the telephone is a great way to decide whether or not disability insurance is something that will be right for you. If you are unsure as of which steps to take, this can be quite helpful in changing things for you. Be sure to take everything into consideration before taking any drastic steps.

SSI disability is something that doesn't need to be nearly as expensive to implement as a lot of people think. In fact, implementing SSI is actually a great way to save money in the long-run; it can make a huge difference in your life. The more effort you put into this, the better off you'll be.

Most people think that they area in which they live might have an effect on their ability to get disability insurance. It doesn't have to have anything to do with it, actually. The more you realize this, the easier it will be for you to implement SSI into your life.

You should always set out to find a book on SSI whenever possible. This can dramatically enhance your ability to enjoy understanding the benefits of SSI disability and how they apply to you. The more you can read, the better.

Consider all of the above 6 reasons for SSI disability for best results.

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process   

Why to Use the Established Patient Code 99214 Versus 99213?

Research shows that 61% of Doctors use 99213 to bill for an Established Patient Visit. Many Doctors may be down coding when the visit could justify a higher-level code. CPT Code 99213 is used normally when a patient is not sick and is relatively healthy. For example, a patient cuts his arm but if a patient has an immune disorder or the cut is infected it would be better to bill with a higher-level code.

When you decide it's necessary to code at a higher-level it's important to be mindful of the time you have spent with the patient. Also it does well to keep in mind anything that has moved the focus to another initial complaint can also call for a higher-level code such as 99214. It's important that when a Doctor decides to use a higher-level code, they need to make sure to document, document, document! Good chart notes by a Doctor will help to back up the usage of a higher-level code if it has been denied by the Insurance Company. If the patient has discussed with the Doctor more than one problem, it would be appropriate to add all the diagnosis codes to the claim to meet the criteria for billing at that higher-level code.

A suggestion used by other Doctors for tracking the time spent with a patient would be to have a clock in each exam room and when the Doctor begins their exam, they would write down the time the exam begins and ends on the back of the Superbill. If the Doctor decides that they need to consult with another Doctor regarding their patient, while the patient is still in their office, this time too should be tracked. Writing the time on the back of the Superbill is so the patient does not see the Doctor looking at their watch, which could make the patient feel they are in a hurry and also the patient will most likely never see the time written on the back.

Doctors do well to talk with their Insurance Biller and Staff to let them know that they would like to implement this practice. The majority of Insurance Billers are in an office away from the hands-on patient care that's taking place in the office or the Doctor is using an off-site billing service. Communication with the Insurance Biller, Front Office, Nurses or Back Office Assistants is very important to implement any new practice within the office. A Medical Office that has good communication and cooperation have such a profound affect on any Medical Practice.

Doctors may be hesitant to change from billing 99213 to 99214 for office visits but when they sit down and calculate the time spent, they most likely will recognize they have been giving away hours of their day for free.

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process   

EMS and Fire Department Billing Solutions, Help in the Midst of Chaos

Chaos is hard to control. Working in the medical industry, including EMS and fire department, may be filled with chaos everyday with patients; if not patients, then paperwork to catch up on billing. News reports show some patients don't receive ambulance billing until well after trips to the hospital. The amount of time between hospital visits and making a payment goes so far that patients potentially forget they are in debt. While ambulance billing services controls the status of patient's bills; yet, I don't see anyone is at fault or to blame. It's just chaos. EMS and fire departments have help available to them. Third parties are often being added into the chaos to keep it from spreading and get things organized.

EMS billing gathers current charges, reimbursements, and compliance resources per account. This gives a better understanding of the business that has been going on. This is pre-dispatch work. There are various departments billing companies' work through, such as data import, insurance, coding, or pre-collection. Agencies struggling to process bills and other paper work should consider ways to reduce administrative costs and optimize revenue. There are a few billing ways that help the chaos. Beyond pre-dispatch services, consultations can be utilized throughout your contract with an independent party. Aside from the paper work, an ambulance billing company focuses on full compliance, patient care and manageability. Meaning they will do more for you than organize. They want agencies to be involved in the process where you know and have access to all necessary information to manage EMS operations.

It's not often society associates the fire department with ambulances; yet alone include the fire department with medical industry as I did above. I guess I'm correlating them in the sense of that they are apart of rescuing teams. Fire service billing is an option for municipal offices experiencing budget challenges. As this happens around the country, alternative funding sources are needed to fulfill that financial void. So fire department billing collects department services like hazardous materials, specialty rescue, fire suppression, and motor vehicle accident response and extrications. For both EMS and fire department billing, third party company's services are all encompassing. They bill the correct party, collect payments and keep full track of every transaction for your viewing needs as well. When it's all said and done, it's still your agency's responsibility to know about the right accounts. Billing solutions are there for support and getting paperwork organized.

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process   

The Importance of Medical Billing Codes

The process of medical billing is an interaction between a health care professional and the insurance company. By submitting and following up on insurance claims, healthcare providers receive payment for services they render. Medical billing codes play an important role in this process because they determine the amount of reimbursement the healthcare provider receives. Various codes exist for diagnosis, treatment, drugs, dental services, Medicare, and hospital treatment.

When a patient visits the doctor, a medical record is created. The doctor issues a diagnosis or cites a reason for the visit. A level of service is established, based on patient history, comprehensiveness of a physical examination, and complexity of medical decision making. This service level is subsequently converted to standardized procedure code taken from the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) database. The diagnosis is also translated to a numerical code, taken from an ICD-9-CM database.

To arrive at these codes, medical coders translate the doctor notes from the patient visit into the proper numerical sequences. Treatment and diagnosis codes are listed on the claim form transmitted to the insurance company. Electronic transmission is the most common method, replacing paper forms used in the past. Medical claim adjusters or examiners with the insurance company process the claims. An approved claim is reimbursed at a certain percentage of billed services pre-negotiated by the insurance company and healthcare provider.

If a medical coder does not understand how to determine and assign the correct codes, the claim will be rejected by the insurance company. A rejected claim is returned to the healthcare provider, usually in the form of an electronic remittance advice or explanation of benefits, also called an EOB. The provider must then decipher the information, reconcile the details with the claim originally submitted, make any necessary corrections to the claim, and submit the revised claim to the insurance company.

Though these extra steps may not seem time or labor intensive for one claim, consider the hundreds of claims submitted by a single healthcare provider each week. In some cases, claims may be rejected and resubmitted multiple times before they are paid in full. It is not uncommon for a provider to eventually give up and accept incomplete reimbursement. To avoid loss of income for the provider, medical coders should assign the correct codes the first time the claim is submitted.

Nearly 50 percent of the time, a claim is either denied, rejected, or overpaid. This is due to the highly complex nature of some claims and errors resulting from similarities that exist with diagnoses. In some cases, the insurance company is to blame for attempting to get away without covering certain services. After the medical coder makes a small adjustment and resubmits the claim with relevant documentation, the denial may be overturned.

On October 01, 2013, the ICD-10-CM database will replace the ICD-9-CM version. Medical coders must become familiar with the medical billing codes contained in this database, so they can hit the ground running when submitting insurance claims in the future. Properly coding each claim ensures that the healthcare provider is accurately reimbursed.

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process   

Tips For Running A Productive Medical Private Practice That Thrives

Running a thriving private medical practice can have its every day challenges. There are quite a few aspects of running a practice that contribute to keeping your staff and yourself productive. One of the first issues is your staff. Having a good staff can mean everything to an efficient practice. It's important to hire friendly, reliable and resourceful people to help run your office. Understanding your staffs strengths and weaknesses is important in order to optimize the work flow.

Having an office manager can help to relieve the physician from every day office issues and endless paperwork. It's also an advantage to "cross train" your employees so that each staff member is interchangeable in most aspects of the office if it gets really busy or if a staff member is out of the office for a period of time.

Another important issue is having an onsite biller or an offsite billing service to handle all the insurance claims and patient accounts. A good and qualified biller is key to a productive office. A good relationship with your biller is crucial. A physician who is running a private practice needs to know how to bill. Physicians didn't realize when they were in medical school that they would become a small business owner. In reality, that's what physicians become whether they like it or not. So it's important that this is a priority when starting a private practice.

Have quarterly promotional events at your office. Become involved with your local community, for example with the local chamber of commerce. Get to know other physicians in your area. A strong relationship is more fruitful and beneficial for your patients.

Another area to concentrate on is the cleanliness of your office. Nothing is worse than walking in as a patient to a dirty and messy physician's office. Patients want to feel welcomed and comforted by the environment they are in before they see the physician. A professional cleaning company is a good idea to have in order to keep the office looking clean and welcoming. Their also should be staff members assigned periodically to check the restrooms to refill the soap dispenser, toilet paper and any other paper products. A sign should also be posted in the restroom the importance of washing your hands after using the facilities. Most office's close at lunch time and that would be a good time to straighten up the waiting room from the mornings patients. This area should also be checked throughout the day.

Doing small things such as these can make a world of difference to your practice and more importantly the patients will feel that they are in good hands and are valued. Happy patients mean more referrals; here's to your thriving business!

Is the Job Growth Affected by the Existence of Software That Handles Medical Billing and Coding?   General Overview of the Medical Billing and Coding Process