HBMA Blog

HBMA 2012 Annual Compliance Conference Coming to Tampa HBMA is pleased to share the details of our 2012 Annual Compliance Conference designed for both third-party and first-party billers! Held at the InterContinental Hotel in Tampa, Fla., March 6-9, 2012, HBMA’s Compliance Conference will allow attendees to gain a deeper understanding of pressing issues relating to compliance... Read More

This week, HBMA announced its 2012 Board of Directors. Headlining the executive leadership is HBMA’s Don Rodden, CPA, CHBME of HealthPro Medical Billing, Inc. Don takes over the reins from successful 2011 President Jackie Willett to drive strategy and deliver quality educational resources to medical billing industry. Don was quoted on his goals for the forthcoming year leading the... Read More

I was reading an article last night entitled 'Doctors Going Broke' on cnn.com about how independent physicians are struggling these days to make ends meet . Between higher costs for malpractice, higher drug costs, and declining reimbursements, the practices interviewed were in quite a bind. Perhaps you are like me, in that, as a member of the Medical Billing industry, I have learned to... Read More

We have been finalizing our 5010 conversion these past couple of months and are coming to grips with the ramifications of what we can expect from our payers. Currently the Cvikota Company has a mix of direct relationships with payers and clearinghouse arrangements with our smaller volume payers. We’ve heavily relied on HBMA’s (www.hbma.org) 5010 readiness resources and education.... Read More

December 14, 2011 To: HBMA (http://www.hbma.org) MembershipFrom:   HBMA Government Relations Committee Re:        SGR Update Late yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a bill, H.R. 3630 that would, among other things, "fix" the SGR problem for 2 years.  Under this bill, instead of a 27.4% cut in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule... Read More

  Last week, two presenters representing HBMA testified at the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics’ annual hearing of its Subcommittee on Standards. The two testimonies covered provider enrollment claim edits as they relate to section 10109 of the Affordable Care Act. Dave Nicholson, CHBME, president and CEO of Baltimore-based medical billing and practice... Read More

We are continuing to build upon a very popular feature in Billing, entitled "Sound Off!".   Please note, we may not be able to include everyone's response. We would like to hear from you on the following topic: Pros and Cons of Using iPads vs Droids  (phones and tablets)  Please limit your response to 25 words and email... Read More

We are excited to announce the details for HBMA’s 2011 EHR Summit. The third annual event will be held at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., on November 16-18, 2011. This three-day event will meet the needs of both first- and third-party medical billers and the practices they serve, regardless of their organization’s current EHR system/model. Each of the three days... Read More

In an October 26 article featured online at ADVANCE for Health Information Professionals, Holly Louie, RN, CHBME, PCS represented HBMA’s ICD-10/5010 committee as she discussed the concerns surrounding the soon conversion from 4010 to 5010. Read Holly's article here. Bob Burleigh also recently participated in an interview with Healthcare Finance News discussing... Read More

For months, providers, health plans and others involved in the electronic claims submission industry have announced that they were ready to begin testing and/or processing transactions via the new 5010 standard. However, once moving into the testing phase, it became apparent to HBMA’s members that providers and health plans had different definitions of what it meant to be ready to... Read More

HBMA attendees and exhibitors have always been tech-savvy, and increasingly they’ve been relying on the use of smartphones and other devices to stay in touch with their business back at the office. As a result of HBMA’s continual efforts to enhance the conference experience for all event participants,  attendees, speakers and exhibitors at this year’s HBMA Annual Fall... Read More

On behalf of its more than 750 member companies, HBMA submitted comments to CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule as published in the July 19, 2011 Federal Register. The  proposed rules are of great concern to healthcare providers and the HBMA membership base as a whole, so the... Read More

Each year, HBMA designs its conferences and educational lineup to ensure the experience is as compelling as possible, allowing attendees to walk away with actionable knowledge that they can immediately apply within their organizations to improve medical billing and management processes. The keynote addresses and pre- and post-conference sessions at this year’s 2011 Annual Fall... Read More

“Understanding the complexities of EHR implementations and how it affects the revenue cycle are some of the greatest challenges I have faced since I’ve been in the medical billing industry.” Sound familiar? I’ve heard it from a number of our members recently, so you’re certainly not alone. HBMA’s EHR Committee is already gearing up for our annual EHR... Read More

This week, HBMA announced details of the association’s 2011 Annual Fall Conference, returning to The Bellagio Las Vegas, September 14-16, 2011. Featuring three full days of educational sessions, legislative insights and networking opportunities for the medical billing community, this event will examine what seems to be a recurring theme: “In 2011, change is the new normal.”... Read More

With the growing demands of health care reform, getting appropriate reimbursement has become a bigger challenge. Many billing services look to revenue cycle management solutions to simplify claims processing and to meet new standards, such as the version 5010 format and ICD-10 code set requirements. But, how can you make sure you and your clients get the most out of revenue... Read More

Taking place at the Westin Denver Downtown in Denver, Colorado, July 14-16, 2011, HBMA University’s first annual CHBME Summer Summit offers five modules dedicated to mastery of business competency and practice. We hope to see you there! One of the tenets of our association is its ability to provide superior educational resources for our members and the industry as a whole, and this two... Read More

Last week, I traveled with members of HBMA’s government relations committee to support the association’s continuing advocacy outreach and partnership with CMS. Through a day-long session, we met with key CMS program directors to address the regulatory Issues facing the business of medical billing, while sharing the results and findings from our annual Provider Satisfaction Survey. ... Read More

Follow HBMA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthcareBilling PRO Social Networking Sites Social networking sites allow people to create new relationships and reconnect with friends and family. Increased communication, even online, strengthens relationships. Social networking sites allow for creative... Read More

Recently, HBMA President Jackie Willett, CHBME and President-Elect Don Rodden, CPA, CHBME teamed up to tackle the challenge of lost revenue for the first-party billing community in a four-part article series appearing in Medical Office Today. Executive Director Brad Lund and PR Committee Chair Karen Linsteadt, CHBME also contributed to this article by providing additional insights and... Read More

In a feature article that appeared in the May 10 issue of Medical Economics and online at Modern Medicine, Theodore Strange, MD, FACP, and I examine the administrative burdens placed on physicians because of inconsistent commercial payor processes, while discussing ways to simplify the complex model. Read more… Read More

With each new change in legislation, maintaining a regional focus in today’s healthcare arena is becoming more and more crucial. To this end, HBMA is announcing  the addition of two upcoming regional events – Thursday, May 12 in Orlando, Fla. and Friday, May 13 in Chicago. While the meetings will address some issues from a national or macro level, each one is really designed... Read More

We wanted to share the exciting news that our very own Jud Neal, chair of HBMA’s certification committee and president and CEO, Physician’s Business Network was a featured presenter for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Special Open Door Forum on Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Programs on April 14. ... Read More

We are adding a new feature to Billing, entitled "Sound Off" We would like to hear from you on the following topic: Pros and Cons of Outsourcing such as data entry, accounts receivable management, etc. Please limit your response to 25 words or email it to: soundoff@hbma.org by Friday April 29. Also, please indicate whether you would like your name, initials, and/or state... Read More

We have the opportunity to participate in a free and interactive relationship with HBMA through our regularly updated social networks and blog. HBMA members will be kept up-to-date on current events, relevant topics, available resources, educational events, and entertaining information. Members are encouraged to participate and network. Facebook:... Read More

February 28, 2011 In an article featured in the February 28 issue of For The Record, Holly Louie, CHBME and Robert Burleigh, CHBME represented HBMA’s Ethics and Compliance committee and were frequently quoted by the author as experts on the Medicaid RAC issue. Read more… Read More

March 16, 2011 In an article featured in March’s Executive Insight, HBMA member, Don Rodden, CPA, CHBME outlines five proactive steps that healthcare providers can take to improve both leadership and teamwork across their organizations. Read more… Read More

HBMA member Jerry Killough was featured in Health Data Management’s March 2011 cover story, where he provided the crucial technical perspective on the new claims standard, and what it means for medical billers. Although the forthcoming 5010 claims standard offers some benefits, meeting its 2012 deadline will be difficult for providers struggling to meet meaningful use. Read the full... Read More

Executive Director Brad Lund was on hand at HIMSS 2011 in Orlando representing the Healthcare Billing and Management Association. While onsite, he was interviewed by Modern Healthcare reporter Joseph Conn about some of the keys to success in ICD-10 implementation for medical billers and their healthcare provider customers. View the full video interview here. Read More

The medical billing industry is operating during a period of great uncertainty, from the complexities of IT integration and provider consolidation, to legislative and regulatory hurdles. HBMA’s Spring Conference, taking place at the Grand Hyatt on the famed and newly expanded Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, April 3-5, 2011, has been specifically designed to help attendees confront... Read More

This week, HBMA announced its 2011 Board of Directors. Headlining the executive leadership is HBMA’s longest tenured board member, our own Jackie Willett, CHBME. Jackie takes over the reins from successful 2010 President Scott Everson to drive strategy and build stakeholder relations for our association.   Jackie was recently quoted on the promising year that lies ahead:... Read More

The editor of FierceHealthFinance interviewed HBMA President Scott Everson regarding the association’s perspectives on the ongoing sustainable growth revenue (SGR) debate. The full article can be found here. Read More

HBMA Unveils its Enhanced Certification Program for 2011 By Judson S. Neal, Chair of HBMA’s Certification Committee November 30, 2010 There has never been a better time for both first- and third-party medical billing professionals to evaluate the importance of certification. Language in this year’s Health Care Reform bill specifically describe the... Read More

Looming Consequences of SGR By Scott Everson, CHBME With the support of HBMA’s Government Relations Committee, HBMA President Scott Everson presented his thoughts on how a permanent fix is needed to the ongoing SGR problem in the November 18 issue of Payers & Providers. Read more… Editor’s Note: On the day of this story’s publication, the... Read More

HBMA’s CPR Committee Identifies the Top 10 Challenges to Payer Relations By Sherri Dumford, CHBME, MBA October 20, 2010 HBMA’s Commercial Payer Relations committee was recently featured in the October issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. The feature article, “Consistent Administrative Rules Slim Down the Need for Rework,” was written by... Read More

In an article that appeared in the September 13 issue of For the Record magazine, Editor-in-Chief Lee DeOrio asked HBMA’s ICD-10 Committee for its take on why only a small number of providers have begun testing for 5010 transactions. Committee Chair Holly Louie offered, “Even if HBMA members and our software vendors are prepared to meet the deadlines and are ready to... Read More

As seen in Health Data Management. The discovery of four Boston-area community hospitals' paper pathology records at a recycling station in Massachusetts  is a wake-up call to the industry, according to a billing veteran. "You need a concerted effort to make sure this doesn't happen to you," says Holly Louie, R.N., corporate compliance officer at Practice Management Inc., a... Read More

By Eric Wicklund, Managing Editor of Healthcare Finance News Electronic health records aren’t just for clinicians anymore. That’s the thinking of the Healthcare Billing & Management Association, which will highlight the importance of EHRs to third-party medical billers and billing professionals during its 2010 Annual Conference, scheduled for Sept. 12-14 in St. Louis. Read... Read More

Medical Records in a Public Dump: Another Hot Compliance Topic for the Fall Conference By HBMA’s Ethics and Compliance Committee In recent Boston Globe and New York Times articles, billing companies were named in connection with a medical records data breach, one of which apparently involved medical records found in a public dump. While the billing companies named in these... Read More

HBMA certainly promises engaging keynote speakers to open and close the 2010 Annual Fall Conference in St. Louis. Tim Wright, founder of Wright Results, Inc., and William Jessee, MD, FACMPE, FACPM, president and CEO of MGMA, will serve as the show’s opening and closing keynote speakers respectively. The HBMA annual conference embodies the mantra that ‘Change isn’t coming,... Read More

HBMA’s 2010 Annual Conference will be held at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, September 12-14, 2010, and will feature three full days of educational sessions, legislative insights and networking opportunities for the medical billing community. Year after year, HBMA’s Annual Conference proves to be the premier educational and networking event for medical billing... Read More

July 28, 2010 Last week, HBMA participated in a hearing conducted by The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS). Taking place at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C., the hearings were hosted by the Subcommittee on Standards and focused on gathering information on the establishment of a national identifier for health plans, and the identification of... Read More

HBMA was recently called on by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to present at the ICD-10 Vendor Conference in an effort to explore readiness, barriers to success and testing. The one-day conference took place at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington DC, and attracted attendance from a broad range of healthcare industry stakeholders including software vendors, billing... Read More

We are excited to announce this year’s spring conference will take place at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, April 14-16, 2010! This don’t miss event will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about recent and imminent changes in the healthcare industry through pre-conference and post-conference programs and an array of educational sessions focused on current issues in the... Read More

HBMA is pleased to share the details of our 2010 Compliance Conference designed for both third-party and first-party billers! Taking place at Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Va., March 9-11, the Compliance Conference will help participants to gain deeper understanding of many issues relating to compliance within the healthcare billing industry. Andrea L. Treese Berlin, senior counsel for... Read More

With the New Year comes HBMA’s appointment of the officers and members of the 2010 HBMA Board of Directors. Please join us in welcoming these individuals as we continue to advance our industry – building on the significant accomplishments of the outgoing board. Officers (one year terms): Past President: Randal Roat CHBME, CBIZ MMP President: Scott... Read More

Baltimore event will focus on the regulations and technological advances impacting the medical billing industry LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — March 08, 2010 — The Healthcare Billing & Management Association (HBMA), a non-profit educational resource and advocacy group representing third-party medical billers and billing professionals, announced today details of the... Read More

Broadly, HIPAA originally set out to simplify administrative procedures in the healthcare industry, and mandated the adoption of regulations for privacy, security, unique health identifiers, and electronic transaction and code sets. Yet the very nature of the process for reporting violations of HIPAA Transaction and Code Sets serves only to deter their adoption, therefore making... Read More