Dr. Brian’s Blog on Chiropractic Office Billing, Software, and Profitability

 By Frank Gordon

You finally made the decision to purchase a new billing system for your chiropractic practice and you’ve done all the right things- researched and picked the right vendor, converted correctly from your old methods to the new system, and made sure your staff got proper training. You’re happy that your change to the new billing system is a great success- or is it?

Succeeding with a new billing system is more than all the “right things” we just mentioned because a new billing system will not be a true success unless your patients are happy with the new system and what it means to them every time they visit your office or receive information from you in the mail.

Here’s some tips for making sure patients perceive that the new billing system was a positive change for them in dealing with you.

Implementing a new system is about improving profitability and having a more efficient practice but it is also about improving the service you provide to your patients. Don’t forget about your patients- the lifeblood of your business.

1.    Involve Your Patients Before Implementing A New System- Let your patients know that you are considering purchasing a new billing system in order to improve your practice and the level of service you are providing to them. Ask them what areas they think you should improve on in terms of specific named functions such as billing and patient scheduling. Ask for specific suggestions. Just the fact that you are asking for their ideas will enhance their image of you and your practice. In addition, you will be surprised at the usefulness of the feedback you receive. Periodically surveying your patients is always a good idea.

2.    Pre-Announce the System to Patients Before You “Go Live” With It- Most people don’t like change because they are used to the way things are- even if the change is an improvement’ therefore, before you go “live” you should mail all of your patients explaining the change that is taking place and that the change is being made to both make your practice more efficient and provide an improved level of service to them. Tell them that the new system was selected for many reasons including feedback you received from them from the patient survey you conducted. It is also advisable that during the first month of the new system you hand out information similar to the letter you mailed for those who did not read the letter.

3.    Post Implementation Survey- After your billing system has been operating for a few months, consider resurveying your patients to get feedback about the change to the new system. Such a survey may result in you identifying areas where your office procedures and/or the system should be modified to be more efficient and/or patient friendly. There are often cases where your patients will provide feedback you may be totally unaware of.

Implementing a new system is about improving profitability and having a more efficient practice but it is also about improving the service you provide to your patients. Don’t forget about your patients - the lifeblood of your business.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

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By Frank Gordon

In implementing medical billing software for your practice, if you simply seek to automate what you are currently doing, you are making a major mistake and will not get the full benefit of a new system- benefits like improved patient service, more effective processing, improved reimbursement rates, and improved practice revenues. Don’t miss out on the opportunities implementing a new system can provide to you.

What you should do is:

1.    Develop a flow chart of how your paperwork is processed and how your patients are handled with your current system.

2.    Research how other practices are operating after installing a new system.

3.    Review each step in the process and answer the following questions:

·     Is this step necessary or could it be eliminated?

·     Is there a better way to perform the step in terms of time required to perform or the cost involved in performing it?

·     How is the step as it is being performed now affecting your patients? Could the step be improved in terms of improving the level of service provided to the patients?

·     Are there any steps not being performed now that should be performed in terms of improving practice profitability or satisfying new regulatory requirements?
4.      Develop a list of ideal software requirements based on your analysis of how you would like your practice to operate in the future. Use this list to assist in evaluating medical billing software you are considering. Although available software may not meet all of your needs after reexamining your practice, it is important to find billing software that can be easily adapted to your practice or any new requirements you may have.

5.    Involve all of your staff in this review because each person involved in the review will have a different perspective on what changes in your current methods are advisable. An added benefit of involving your staff is that they will feel part of the medical billing software solution you select and will buy in to and support that solution.

As Michael Hammer wrote in his book Re engineering the Corporation, automating what you are currently doing is like repaving the cow path- and repaving won’t realize the benefits for your practice you could be realizing. Don’t make this mistake when selecting and implementing medical billing software for your practice. If you do make this mistake, you will lose revenue enhancing opportunities such software can provide to you. You will miss out on opportunities available to you by assessing your current operating methods.

Before implementing medical billing software, take a look at your practice objectively, analytically and with a fresh perspective. This unique opportunity to examine your practice is an opportunity you will not have often- at least in terms of automated systems supporting your practice. You and your profits will only benefit from this approach- but only if you take the time to reexamine your current methods.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Gordon

 By Frank Gordon

Are you considering chiropractic billing software for your practice? If you are, you probably have many questions. Here are some questions most chiropractic practices have about medical billing software and answers to those questions.

1.    How much does a medical billing system cost? Costs vary depending on the size of your practice and what your needs are such as, for example, your hardware requirements. How many monitors do you need? What’s the base price of the software? Is there an annual license fee? What is the cost of software maintenance? (Normally this averages 20% of the annual license fee?

2.    How can I make sure I get a system that will work for my practice? First you should define what your needs are. If you need help with this, simply request literature from many medical billing software vendors, review the features they describe and decide which ones are “must haves” for your practice. Second, speak with other chiropractic practices using medical billing software. Ask them about their experiences and what they did to get a system to meed there needs? Ask them what they think you should be looking for.

3.    Which vendors and software packages should I consider? There are many lists of vendors and software packages available. Your best source for this information can be obtained by contacting local and national chiropractic associations. Many of these compile software vendor and package lists. In addition, ask owners of successful chiropractic practices which package they are using and what other packages they recommend you consider.

4.    How can I assure that I successfully implement medical billing software? There are several critical success factors involved in successful implementation. Some of these include making sure your software vendor provides comprehensive training and after sale support and that the vendor provides adequate easy to understand user guides and documentation for your staff to use. Another important consideration is that the person the vendor assigns to help you implement the system has sufficient experience in helping many other practices similar to yours implement the system.

5.    How much time will it take to completely implement a medical billing system? To help you determine this, ask all the vendors you are considering for a project implementation plan. Also contact practices who have already implemented the system and ask them how long implementation took.

6.    What kind of support can I expect from the vendor I select in implementing a system? Support varies by vendor but provided support should include implementation planning, assistance in converting from your current system to the new one, training of your staff, and telephone call in support after your system “goes live.”

To assure you implement a system that is right for your practice, you must do your homework, research all of the alternatives and get answers to key questions like the ones we have provided. With the right preparation and homework you will successfully implement a medical billing system for your practice.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

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 By Gina Bortolussi

It’s common sense that manners and a positive attitude will go a long way in a professional setting. Consumers as a whole want to be treated with respect and greeted with friendly faces. In a practice, the atmosphere and the personnel in that atmosphere have much control over whether or not patients are satisfied with their visit.

Having an attitude with a patient, or overall unfriendly disposition, will not help make the patient feel comfortable. If a patient is not comfortable or happy with a practice and the people who are working in that practice, than they most likely won’t be willing to make another appointment. A negative attitude can actually cost a practice patients and therefore cost them money.

Chiropractors have an obligation to take care of their patients, and so do the people working in their practice. While Chiropractors are making adjustments,the front office should also be making patients feel comfortable. Along with making adjustments, Chiropractors have a number of responsibilities and the front office does as well. Both have to work together to make a practice run smoothly and properly. If the front office isn’t working to their best abilities and providing a positive atmosphere, then the practice’s reputation is tarnished.

It is easy to be stressed in today’s world, but what people have to remember, especially when working with the public, is that a smile goes a long way. Chiropractors entrust their front offices. While Chiropractors are taking care of their patients, the front office is responsible for taking care of the patients who haven’t been seen by a doctor yet.

The front office is the first contact made by the patients coming into the practice. It is extremely important for the people working in the front office to make sure that patients are starting their days with positivity. A good attitude can affect the way patients go about their day, how they feel throughout the day. It can also shape their day and affect how they treat others throughout the day.

Greeting patients with a positive attitude and friendly smile can even impact the way the people working the front office feel. A positive attitude affects the person who is giving it as well as the person receiving it. Keeping a positive attitude creates positive thinking, a more creative mind, success and overall happiness. A positive attitude motivates a person to do the best work that they can and fuels their ability to do their job.

The energy you give out into the world will be given back to you. It is extremely important for a working environment to have a positive energy and for people with positive attitudes to be working in that environment. A practice is only as good as the people who work in it and with positive attitudes and friendly dispositions, a practice can flourish.

Gina Bortolussi is a graduate of Manhattan College and has her B.A. in Communications. She is currently focusing on research of modern Internet-based chiropractic office management solutions, such as Billing Precision (http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com). Billing Precision is an all-in-one Internet-based system that includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure.

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By Gina Bortolussi 

I recently went to my physician for a standard check up and some blood work. My friend who accompanied me there, since I have a big fear of doctors and needles, followed me into one of the exam rooms to be my moral support. Since the room was rather tiny, my friend stopped in the doorway and decided she would stand there to be out of the nurses way. The nurse who was about to take my blood pressure and other vitals seemed a bit weary of this. She informed me that it was better if my friend would just wait outside in the waiting room since, according to HIPAA, she wasn’t supposed to be near or in the hallway while I was in the exam room. I had heard the acronym numerous times, but never really understood what it was or what it did so upon hearing it again, and being confused as to why my friend couldn’t stand near the hallway area, I decided to do some investigating and find out the basics of HIPAA.

HIPAA, or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a vital act for health care professionals which works to protect doctors and patients. The act is separated into two titles. The first title protects the coverage providing by health insurance for both workers and the families of those workers, while the second title, also called the Administrative Simplification, protects the information of workers and their families by ensuring it doesn’t become public knowledge, unless necessary or required.

The Privacy Rule, which is a part of the second title, protects information on workers and their families’ healthcare that is covered under “covered entities.” These covered entities are mostly heath insurers, health care providers and heath plans that employers themselves oversee. The Privacy rule is mainly used to regulate what Protected Health Information, or PHI, is shared. The PHI is what a covered entity, having to do with the health of a worker or the family member of a worker and payment for health care, has access to.

Covered entities have two important responsibilities. The first one is to make sure a person receives their information from PHI within a 30 day period, after it has been requested. The second is for covered entities to report PHI if asked to by law. When information is given, PHI must make sure that only the relevant information is disclosed in order to solve the issue.

The Security Rule is one more rule that is a part of HIPAA. The Security Rule correlates with the Privacy Rule, but there is a difference between the two. While the Privacy Rule deals with all PHI, both paper and electronic, the Security Rule deals with only Electronic Protected Health Information, or EPHI.

Personally, I am still not one hundred percent sure why my friend couldn’t stand near the hallway at my doctor’s office, although I am guessing it has something to do with my right to privacy or perhaps a safety issue, but I now have a better understanding of what HIPAA actually is and the basics of how it operates.

Gina Bortolussi is a graduate of Manhattan College and has her B.A. in Communications. She is currently focusing on research of modern Internet-based chiropractic office management solutions, such as Billing Precision (http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com) . Billing Precision is an all-in-one Internet-based system that includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure.

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 By Gina Bortolussi

The lives of Chiropractors can be simplified in a number of ways. A great way for this simplification to start is for a practice to go paperless. Technology has made the lives of many much easier. One way is by eliminating the mess and stress of countless papers and documentation done by hand.

A lot of time and energy can be cut in half or even completely eliminated by using computer software instead of a pen and some paper. Instead of Chiropractors having to take the time out of their schedules to write pages and pages of notes, they can use their computers to do all of that for them. The time it takes to input information into a computer’s system is less than having to write down that information.

Chiropractors often feel a lot of pressure. There is the pressure of making sure a patient is well taken care of, the pressure of potential audits and the pressure of documenting the right information and quickly. Chiropractors don’t have the time to write out all of the details they need to put into their documents. Under the pressure and time constraint, Chiropractors may find themselves cutting corners and even making big mistakes in their documentation.

Going paperless alleviates the constricting feeling for Chiropractors, ensuring them a faster and easier way to document all of the necessary patient information. By eliminating paper, Chiropractors can eliminate some of the personnel in the front office. This saves the practice money. Maybe a less obvious advantage to going paperless is the lack of clutter that will be present in a practice’s office. There are so many files to be filed and papers lying around everywhere that the clutter can sometimes be distracting. If there are enough files and papers around, some might even be mixed up or lost.

When Chiropractors have patients to see, organization may take a back seat. This is not due to lack of concern for how a practice is run, but because a Chiropractor’s attention is focused on their patients. With a computer’s software capabilities, the clutter is cleaned up and the practice can look and feel like it is under control. There is little to no possibility of a mix up in a patient’s information or file, and if that does happen then it can be fixed with a few touches to the screen.

Going paperless is a time saver and stress reliever for Chiropractors. Technology in many ways, specifically it has helped the world of Chiropractors by making documentation easier and faster. Going paperless doesn’t require a Chiropractor to give up anything, in fact it gives back to Chiropractors in a very beneficial way.

Gina Bortolussi is a graduate of Manhattan College and has her B.A. in Communications. She is currently focusing on research of modern Internet-based chiropractic office management solutions, such as Billing Precision (http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com) . Billing Precision is an all-in-one Internet-based system that includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure.

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By Gina Bortolussi

Most people have a justified fear of speaking in front of others. It’s not the best experience a person can have and usually not something someone chooses to do. Although speaking to a group of people can be scary, there are some major benefits for Chiropractors who take the time and participate in this challenge.

Public speaking can benefit a Chiropractor in a number of ways. For prospective patients, it can be a great way to help them make a decision between a practice or a Chiropractor. If a possible patient for a practice hears a Chiropractor speak, then they may feel more comfortable with that Chiropractor and their practice. The comfort level between a patient and a Chiropractor is a very important one and is a big reason as to why most patients pick the Chiropractors they do.

Another positive to come out of public speaking is networking. Chiropractors never know who could be listening to their speeches. There could be other Chiropractors listening to a speech, not only patients looking for new Chiropractors. Networking and communication is an important aspect of what a Chiropractor does, besides adjusting patients. Public speaking can help a Chiropractor to build up their communication skills.

A Chiropractor can divulge a lot of information about themselves when they engage in public speaking. A potential patient can tell what kind of person they are and what kind of practice they run. Even the way a Chiropractor carries himself or the way he speaks can tell a potential patient vital information. If a patient has their choice between a Chiropractor who they have heard speak and one who they have been referred to, but don’t know anything about, then there is a greater chance that the potential patient will visit the Chiropractor who they feel they know better.

By Frank Gordon

Have you considered chiropractic billing software for your new practice but don’t really know a lot about it? Here’s a brief description of some of the key functions chiropractic billing software provides:

Appointment Scheduling- “No shows” for appointments can often result in lost revenue because many patients who don’t show up for their appointments don’t reschedule them. An appointment scheduling system can reduce the number of no shows and can more efficiently and effectively handle maintaining and updating patient schedules.

Care Plan Tracking- A care plan tracking system helps you provide better plan and follow up on the appropriate treatment for a patient. As your practice matures, you can build your own care plans and use those plans, where appropriate, for each patient in your practice.

Documentation Management- Operating a chiropractic practice can be a paperwork intensive activity. A documentation management system can better manage paperwork and provide for electronic submittal and receipt of information instead of relying on less efficient manual tracking and processing of paper forms.

Audit Risk Management- Practice audits can become a costly problem depending on the results. A medical billing system can provide the controls that dramatically reduce the likelihood of an audit that could result in extensive penalties and other problems.

Practice Financial Reporting- Monthly accounting and management reports are critical for operating a profitable practice.

Electronic Prescription Transmission to Pharmacies- The ability to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies requires less of your staff’s time and attention, insures accuracy in fulfilling prescriptions, and provides a higher level of service to your patients.

Access Controls- These controls allow you to establish security to control which members of your staff can access individual functions of your billing system.

Automatic Off Site Backup of Your Data- This insures that in the event of a catastrophic practice event such as a fire in your office, all of your medical records are preserved.

Administrative Software- Administrative software provides such functions as word processing.

Month End Processing and Reconciliation of Financial Records

A Flexible Report Writer- A report writer permits you to query the information contained in your patient and practice database and produce reports to help you assess the profitability of your practice and determine what actions you can take to improve profitability.

Billing System- Such a system provides bills to patients and at the same time submits data to the patient’s health care provider so that the practice receives appropriate reimbursement from that provider.

Workflow Process Designer- A workflow process designer provides a way for you to set up workstations in your office and the related flow of your work customized to your unique needs.

To learn more about chiropractic medical billing software, you should consider:

• Contacting your local chiropractic medical association;
• Contact medical billing software vendors to learn about their systems; and,
• Researching additional articles about medical billing software.

Medical billing software can help you quickly establish and maintain a profitable practice for many years to come. Investing time to learn about what medical billing software can do for your practice can provide many benefits to you.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Gordon

By Frank Gordon

If you have been thinking about buying medical billing software for your chiropractic practice, with the current economy in the state it is in you have probably begun thinking more seriously about how you can cost justify an investment in the software.

One way you can justify the investment in medical billing software relates to patient scheduling and missed appointments. A missed appointment can sometimes result in a missed revenue opportunity since some patients do not reschedule their appointments.

Here are some basic steps to roughly calculate how much additional revenue your practice could generate from installing medical billing software that provides an effective patient scheduling and missed appointment follow up system:

1.    Note the approximate number of scheduled patient visits to your practice each year. (Example-3,000)

2.    Note or estimate the number of missed appointments per year. If you don’t know this number, approximate it using a percent. (Example- 10% or 300 missed appointments)

3.    Estimate the percent of missed appointments which are not rescheduled. (Example 20% or 60 appointments not rescheduled within a year)

4.    Estimate the revenue generated by each patient visit. Simply divide your total practice revenue by the total number of patient visits.

5.    Multiply the revenue generated per patient by the number of appointments which are not rescheduled. The result is an estimate of lost revenue from appointments not reset.

6.    Estimate what percent of appointments currently not rescheduled could be rescheduled with new patient billing/appointment tracking software to estimate the additional annual revenue which could be realized for your practice with a better system.

7.    Last, multiply the annual revenue which could be realized times the number of years you anticipate keeping the new medical billing system. Use five years as a conservative number.

Reducing the number of missed and not rescheduled appointments is one of the many ways you can cost justify an investment in a new medical billing system.

Another less measurable but noteworthy way you can cost justify a new medical billing system is a reduction in patient attrition rates resulting from providing a higher level of patient service. Poor patient service is the primary reason patients leave their current medical provider. Imagine the financial impact on your practice if you increased the retention rate of your patients by only ten percent. Here’s a way to estimate the impact of improved patient retention:

1.    Make note of the following key numbers- average number of years a patient remains with your practice and average revenue per patient. Multiply these two numbers to arrive at the lifetime value of one patient.

2.    Assume that an effective medical billing system providing improved patient services extends the time a patient remains with your practice by 10%.

3.    Multiply the lifetime patient value (#1) by 10% to arrive at the increased revenue created by a 10% longer patient retention rate.

4.    Multiply the revenue increase per patient times the number of patient to estimate the added revenue from this increased patient retention example.

Pick an effective medical billing system for your practice and you can easily justify the purchase in terms of additional revenue realized and money saved. The previous examples are only a few of the many ways you can cost justify the purchase of a medical billing system.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Gordon

Frank Gordon

If you are considering medical billing software for your chiropractic practice, with the right selection choice, you will realize many benefits including:

·  Improved service delivery to your patients;

·  More cost effective and efficient paperwork handling and reimbursement processing;

·  Reduction in the number of missed appointments;

·  Improved medical records management; and,

·  Improved practice profitability.

If, however, you make the wrong decision about which medical billing software package to implement, the results could be disastrous. For example, you could lose patients because of providing a reduced level of service. A bad decision could also affect the morale of those in your office who could become frustrated with a system that doesn’t work as expected.  More importantly, a poor medical billing software selection for your practice could have a detrimental impact on practice profitability.

To avoid making the wrong medical billing software selection, one critical step is to define the requirements for the system and for your practice. If you don’t define exactly what your practice needs before selecting a software package, you could make the wrong decision.

Examples of technical requirements you should define for medical billing include:

·  Transaction volume - How many patients and visits are you processing per month now and what volume do you anticipate in five years? Your system must have the capacity to support processing volume for your practice.

·  Number of users by function- How many users will be accessing your system today and in five years?  This is important to determine so that your system has the capacity to provide enough terminals to support your practice.

You should also develop a checklist of the desired features you need from medical billing software. Examples of features include:

·  Providing for HIPAA compliant electronic claims and payments;

·  Ability to store patient information you want to keep on file such as, x-rays, patient visit details, etc

·  Comprehensive practice management tracking of key statistics

·  A list of desired reports such as a chronological report of patient history and the ability to create your own customized reports.

In evaluating different software packages, you should also list one time and recurring costs for each package being considered so that you can consider all the costs involved with each solution.

One time costs might include, but not be limited to:

·  Hardware and software installation charge

·  Initial user training

·  User and system documentation

·  System modification charges based on any customization you request for the system

·  Vendor travel and expense charges when implementing your system

Recurring costs would include, but not be limited to:

·  Annual software maintenance charges

·  Software upgrade charges

Only by carefully defining what you expect from a medical billing software package can you effectively evaluate possible solutions for your practice.  Just as important is to make an effective comparison of total costs involved for each solution being considered.  Don’t make the mistake of not using a planned structured approach for evaluating medical billing software.  The benefits of selecting the right medical billing software for your practice are substantial.

Billing Precision, LLC, is a leading-edge chiropractic office profitability management solution. Its all-in-one Internet-based system includes accountable and transparent billing service, state-of-art touch-screen SOAP notes, advanced patient scheduling, and real-time monitoring for compliance and audit exposure. Billing Precision’s unique value stems from its ability to level the playing field with payers and get chiropractors paid in full and on time by capitalizing on modern Internet technology and billing network effect. More at http://www.chiropracticbillingprecision.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Gordon