Nearterm Blog

CMS OFFERS A DEAL

CMS OFFERS AN INCENTIVE TO SETTLE DISPUTED INPATIENT MEDICARE CLAIMS CMS and hospitals have historically been challenged to reach agreement on Medicare claims that have been suspended. The volume has increased dramatically resulting in processing backlogs and impasse. Here is a link to a recent CMS publication explaining the new “offering” to pay backlogged claims…

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Revenue Cycle DRP

REVENUE CYCLE DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING (DRP) IS CRITICAL Most hospitals have highly detailed disaster plans that are mostly focused on direct patient care issues and that is absolutely the appropriate focus. However, we as revenue cycle professionals advocate the reminder that cash flow is a critical when disaster strikes. The following wikipedia link articulates DRP issues fairly…

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REVENUE CYCLE EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE

HOSPITAL DRESS CODE IS CHANGING Eric Chester has written a very interesting article on the topic of dress code. http://ericchester.com/2014/07/16/casual-friday-or-casual-everyday/ I found this article and many others written by Mr. Chester to be very informative and practical. If you are a healthcare leader in a provider organization, you know that our industry has unique dress…

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Hospital Collection Practices

COLLETION LAWS THAT MAY PROVIDE POLICY GUIDANCE This is a very practical look at the laws that guide hospital collection practices. Are your policies and procedures compliant? (see below) http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection If you have comments to share with colleagues about how you have designed collection protocols that are compliant and advantageous from a collection standpoint, please…

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HEALTHCARE CAREER TIP

Here is a quote from Mark Twain that you may find inspirational as you build your career, your life and your reputation; “YOU CANNOT BUILD YOUR REPUTATION ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO” Next time you have a moment of introspection about your image, consider that reputation is defined as the general estimation in…

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CODER INFORMATION

Coding professionals may find this site useful. It is the “official” source for up to date information. http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/Latest_News.html Please feel free to contact us for all of your HIM resource needs! Jim Matthews [email protected]

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REVENUE CYCLE EFFICIENCY

Most of the 8,700 layoffs this year were non-clinical jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics leads to dire projections as we move into 2013. As revenue cycle professionals, we have always been challenged to streamline revenue cycle operations, reduce revenue cycle labor cost and become more efficient. I submit that the challenge is now a…

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EMR EFFICACY

A practical observation presented in this article and the cited study is that whether medical records are maintained hard copy or electronically, the source is still the same – people. In either environment, providers will continue to be challenged toward improving accuracy and the consequences are far reaching . Check it out; http://medcitynews.com/2012/12/electronic-medical-records-not-a-panacea-for-patient-safety-problems/ If you are…

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AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Here is some information about the impact of the Affordable Care Act. While we have known the “rules” for some time, hospitals are now beginning to feel the impact in the form of revenue penalties and the demand to provide care differently than in the past. Re-admission penalties are a current target and most thought…

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DRESS FOR SUCCESS

For a lot of hospital employees, dress code is a matter of policy. However, in revenue cycle operations, HIM, hospital finance and other non-clinical work environments, there is greater flexibility regarding attire. Read the article below and think about how your appearance may impact your career. http://under30ceo.com/4-ways-dress-success-increasingly-casual-workplace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Under30CEOAll+%28Under30CEO%29 Jim Matthews Principal; Nearterm Corporation [email protected]

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