If you are interested in a proven new revenue stream while at the same time being able to provide access to courses that will lift up your providers and staff, we’d love to speak with you. We’d love to explain how a training partnership with Practice Management Institute can positively affect not only your bottom line, but enhance your role as a steward of the success of the providers and practices you serve. Here’s a testimonial from one of your peers:
 
“The Medical Society of Delaware is delighted to underscore the exceptional value and numerous benefits that our educational partnership has brought to our esteemed members and their medical practices. Since the inception of this collaboration, we have witnessed transformative outcomes that have significantly contributed to their professional growth and success.

 Practice Management Institute Partners with Hendrick Health Regional Services to Bring Important Web-based Programming to 139 Affiliated Regional Practice Staff

On 2/9/2024 , Hendrick Health Regional Services will host the important Patient Collections/Accounts Receivable Management and E/M Chart Auditing for Physician Services 3-hour webinars to affiliated practice staff in Abilene and 19 West-Texas Counties.

The Patient Collections/Accounts Receivable Management course covers A/R as well as compliance and practice management efforts. Students will learn to improve insurance data collection, eligibility verification, patient communication, and to reduce payment problems that can crush the bottom-line success of the practice. In our E/M Chart Auditing for Physician Services session, participants will learn to improve knowledge of level of service audits to reduce practice risk /promote accurate claim submission. The sessions will be led by PMI faculty leader Jan Hailey MHL, CMC, CMCO, CMIS, CMOM, CMCA E/M, and moderated by Jessica Yourdon, PMI’s Social Media & Content Coordinator.

Sincere thanks to Craig Hunnicutt, Director, Regional Services, Kim Hudson, Coordinator of Provider Outreach and to Amanda Goodson, Provider Outreach, for the consistently demonstrated commitment they each have to the success of medical practices, providers, and staff served regionally by Hendrick Health. What a turnout!

Interested in a similar academic partnership with PMI?  If your organization would like more information about partnering with PMI, please contact Michael Moore at 800-259-5562, Ext. 270 or email Michael directly at mmoore@pmimd.com. 

Practice Management Institute Expands Partnership with Tyler Junior College to Bring Important Continuing Education Opportunities to Local and Regional Medical Practice Staff

PMI is pleased to announce that we are expanding our partnership with Tyler Junior College (TJC).   Working closely to offer PMI continuing educational programming covering front desk operations, patient experience, coding, billing, compliance, and reimbursement, as well as the nationally recognized PMI certifications, this new phase in our partnership will focus exclusively on the success of the local and regional healthcare industry, providers, and practice staff.

Practice Management Institute (PMI) has named Washington County Community College (WCCC) its 2023 Outstanding National Host Partner. The award, chosen nationally from among hundreds of hospital, college, medical society, physician service group and program host partners, is given to an organization who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to partnering with PMI for the purposes of advancing educational opportunities within their service area and state.

This week in Buffalo- PMI will present new instructor-led webinars with long-time PMI host Catholic Medical Partners.

PMI is a proud educational partner of Catholic Medical Partners in Buffalo, NY. For 27 years, we have joined forces to provide quality educational and credentialing programming to local and regional medical practice staff, and we’re thrilled to kick off yet another year of much needed programming to keep practice staff in the know.

Leading the 2024 Reimbursement Update: CPT© and Medicare Compliance and Mastering EM Coding sessions will be PMI faculty presenter Audrey Coaxum, CHC, CPC, CEMC, CMC, CMIS, CMOM, CMCO. Audrey is an exceptional instructor, and is known nationally for her easy to follow teaching skills and exceptional knowledge base.

New CPT® code and regulatory changes for 2024 will go into effect on January 1st. Numerous proposals include conversion factor payment increases for primary care / direct patient care, caregiver training services, and services involving community health workers, care navigators, and peer support specialists. The implementation of a separate add-on payment for HCPCS code G2211 is also proposed, which is expected to improve the accuracy of payment for primary and longitudinal care.
 
In the morning session, Audrey will help prepare attendees for the impact of coding and regulatory changes. This annual update program will help students forecast the impact on billing for their particular specialty in 2024. The training will help participants reduce denials and stay in compliance in the New Year. All proposed key changes to the procedural code set, guidelines and issues that may impact provider reimbursement are being addressed.

E/M lays the groundwork for the reimbursement process. It is also a well-known audit trigger. In the afternoon Mastering EM Coding session,  Audrey will provide the tools needed to internally monitor billing compliance. Participants will learn to relate accurate code selection to proper reimbursement, and will receive a comprehensive explanation of E/M coding and documentation guidelines, and identification of accurate and clinically useful information.
 
Huge shout out to Lea Passage, MHA, CLP, Physician’s Relations Specialist, for once again playing host, and for continually having the backs of her providers and staff.

The Catholic Medical Partners mission is to provide a high-performing health care system that continuously improves upon the delivery of health care to the populations they service, and to demonstrate improvements in the patient experience, preventative health, and the care and treatment of patients with high burden of illness with a lower the cost trend.

Pain management treatments are primarily performed by an interventional pain management specialist, physiatrist, anesthesiologist, orthopedic surgeon, or neurosurgeon, and can include physical or occupational therapy, over-the-counter or prescription medication, neurostimulators, and injections.

Putting on the dreaded collections hat is a necessary evil that every medical office can relate to. You can run a tight ship, doing your very best to collect payments at the time of service, but because of the complexities of medical billing and emergent situations, there will always be times when collecting every patient's payment is an impossibility. Documenting best strategies for more expeditious patient payment practices will help the team get it done.

Consumer healthcare spending continues to rise, not surprisingly due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. National health spending projections for 2021-23 will continue to inch upward 5.4 percent per year, according to research compiled by the National Health Expenditures Accounts (NHE). Insurers have tightened the reins shifting more financial burden to their members. And with inflation, furloughs, unpaid family leave, and mounting medical and prescription costs, it's no surprise that family budgets are stretched thin.

The rapid evolution of telehealth services has helped keep medical practice virtual doors open to meet their patients' health needs during the pandemic. But with new utilization comes cautionary areas from a billing standpoint, and it's important to stay current on updates and compliance protocols to promote revenue growth and avoid financial loss. 

Pay careful attention to the latest reimbursement, compliance guidelines, and waivers as you integrate telehealth into patient care, experts warn. As the newness wears off, denials could start rolling in if you aren't watching the updates closely. 

Changes to healthcare delivery, and billing codes during the pandemic, along with major updates to the E/M documentation guidelines have created a ripe environment for government-contracted auditors. But you have the right to challenge auditors. Take steps now to establish your culture of compliance.

Elizabeth Daley, MHA, CMIS, CMOM, CMCO, is Director of Client Success at Collect Rx, a 15-year-old company launched by former executives from third-party vendors who pioneered the out-of-network (OON) industry. The company works with 2,100 clients across the country and have built a proprietary database with thousands of claim resolutions at their fingertips to facilitate and expedite the negotiation process.

A Medical Office Manager’s Guide to Patient Collections