http://www.hbma.org/blog/ Medical billing related blog postings Wed, 16 May 2012 17:04:34 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-education-on-demand-new http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-education-on-demand-new One of the newest additions to our educational offerings is the 'HBMA Education On Demand' area.  This new area is comprised of recorded webinars, seminars, and material recorded specifically to offer as 'On Demand'.  When you purchase these programs via the HBMA Store or Education... Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:46:19 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/with-thanks-to-all-who-made-the-hbma-2012-spring-educational-conference-such-a-success http://www.hbma.org/blog/with-thanks-to-all-who-made-the-hbma-2012-spring-educational-conference-such-a-success How do you adequately say thank you to so many people who made the HBMA 2012 Spring Educational Conference last week such a success??  I will begin with the Education Committee who worked for the last 8+ months to make the educational opportunities fit the needs of our members =... Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:11:50 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/counting-down-to-the-opening-reception-on-april-19th-in-new-orleans http://www.hbma.org/blog/counting-down-to-the-opening-reception-on-april-19th-in-new-orleans We hope you are already making your plans to join us in New Orleans for the HBMA 2012 Spring Educational Conference! We are counting down to the Opening Reception on Thursday, April 19th with nearly 60 exhibitors in our Exhibitor Showcase this year - many joining us for the... Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:56:42 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/dont-become-a-statistic http://www.hbma.org/blog/dont-become-a-statistic What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I mention Disaster Preparedness for your company?  Hurricane? Tornado? Fire? Earthquake? Time in the "DOJ Hotel"?  Yep, you do know it is a HIPAA Regulation that your company MUST... Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:55:00 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-has-expanded-our-government-relations-committee http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-has-expanded-our-government-relations-committee Prompted by the steadfast increase in regulatory activity and scrutiny in the years ahead and our continual goal of exceeding member’s educational and advocacy needs, we’re excited to announce the development of an enhanced association government relations committee. The mission of this... Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:53:12 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-2012-annual-compliance-conference-coming-to-tampa http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-2012-annual-compliance-conference-coming-to-tampa 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... Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:43:18 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/2012-hbma-board-of-directors-and-officers-announced http://www.hbma.org/blog/2012-hbma-board-of-directors-and-officers-announced 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... Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:54:39 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/independent-physicians-going-broke http://www.hbma.org/blog/independent-physicians-going-broke 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. ... Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:01:26 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/lessons-learned-in-5010-readiness http://www.hbma.org/blog/lessons-learned-in-5010-readiness 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.... Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:57:37 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/sgr-update-dec-14-2011 http://www.hbma.org/blog/sgr-update-dec-14-2011 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... Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:29:54 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-participated-in-national-committee-on-vital-and-health-statistics-hearing http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-participated-in-national-committee-on-vital-and-health-statistics-hearing   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.... Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:57:48 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/sound-off http://www.hbma.org/blog/sound-off 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... Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:17:38 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/join-hbma-for-our-3rd-annual-ehr-summit http://www.hbma.org/blog/join-hbma-for-our-3rd-annual-ehr-summit 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... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:32:41 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/ready-for-5010 http://www.hbma.org/blog/ready-for-5010 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... Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:59:02 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-develops-standard-definitions-for-5010-readiness http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-develops-standard-definitions-for-5010-readiness 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... Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:36:29 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/download-the-new-hbma-conference-app-today http://www.hbma.org/blog/download-the-new-hbma-conference-app-today 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... Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:33:40 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/urgent-changes-needed-for-medicare-physician-fee-schedule http://www.hbma.org/blog/urgent-changes-needed-for-medicare-physician-fee-schedule 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... Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:21:45 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/keynote-speakers-and-additional-sessions-announced-for-september-s-annual-conference http://www.hbma.org/blog/keynote-speakers-and-additional-sessions-announced-for-september-s-annual-conference 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... Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:33:37 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/the-complexities-of-the-ehr-industry-will-affect-your-business-will-you-be-ready http://www.hbma.org/blog/the-complexities-of-the-ehr-industry-will-affect-your-business-will-you-be-ready “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. ... Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:57:08 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-returns-to-las-vegas-for-its-2011-fall-annual-conference http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-returns-to-las-vegas-for-its-2011-fall-annual-conference 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... Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:06:59 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled101 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled101 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... Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:08:15 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/chbme-summer-summit-less-than-three-weeks-away http://www.hbma.org/blog/chbme-summer-summit-less-than-three-weeks-away 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... Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:21:02 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-addresses-cms-and-congress http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-addresses-cms-and-congress 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,... Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:52:41 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/do-you-use-social-networking-pros-and-cons-list http://www.hbma.org/blog/do-you-use-social-networking-pros-and-cons-list 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,... Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:06:50 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/revenue-reality-check http://www.hbma.org/blog/revenue-reality-check 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... Tue, 24 May 2011 16:41:16 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/how-to-maneuver-obstacles-to-getting-fully-reimbursed http://www.hbma.org/blog/how-to-maneuver-obstacles-to-getting-fully-reimbursed 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... Tue, 24 May 2011 16:40:00 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-turns-spotlight-on-orlando-and-chicago-may-meetings-to-focus-on-regional-challenges http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-turns-spotlight-on-orlando-and-chicago-may-meetings-to-focus-on-regional-challenges 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... Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:00:40 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-s-medical-billing-community-represented-at-cms-open-door-forum http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-s-medical-billing-community-represented-at-cms-open-door-forum 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... Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:32:23 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/new-feature-sound-off http://www.hbma.org/blog/new-feature-sound-off 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... Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:29:21 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/follow-hbma-on-facebook-and-twitter http://www.hbma.org/blog/follow-hbma-on-facebook-and-twitter 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... Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:19:44 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/say-hello-to-medicaid-racs http://www.hbma.org/blog/say-hello-to-medicaid-racs 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… ... Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:15:09 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/reshaping-healthcare-organizations-through-physician-leadership http://www.hbma.org/blog/reshaping-healthcare-organizations-through-physician-leadership 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… Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:14:29 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hipaa-5010-puts-providers-in-it-triage http://www.hbma.org/blog/hipaa-5010-puts-providers-in-it-triage 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,... Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:07:36 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/modernhealthcare-com http://www.hbma.org/blog/modernhealthcare-com 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... Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:21:10 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/details-announced-for-hbma-s-deep-in-the-heart-spring-conference http://www.hbma.org/blog/details-announced-for-hbma-s-deep-in-the-heart-spring-conference 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... Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:50:24 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/2011-hbma-board-of-directors-announced http://www.hbma.org/blog/2011-hbma-board-of-directors-announced 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... Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:10:38 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/fierce-health-finance http://www.hbma.org/blog/fierce-health-finance 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. Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:01:36 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-unveils-its-enhanced-certification-program-for-2011 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-unveils-its-enhanced-certification-program-for-2011 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... Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:24:05 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/payers-providers-coverage http://www.hbma.org/blog/payers-providers-coverage 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 &... Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:05:41 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled27 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled27 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,... Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:20:06 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/5010-transaction-testing-where-are-the-payers http://www.hbma.org/blog/5010-transaction-testing-where-are-the-payers 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... Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:33:15 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/establish-a-chain-of-trust-with-billers http://www.hbma.org/blog/establish-a-chain-of-trust-with-billers 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... Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:32:10 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/ehrs-outsourcing-on-the-agenda-for-hbma http://www.hbma.org/blog/ehrs-outsourcing-on-the-agenda-for-hbma 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... Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:23:38 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled11 http://www.hbma.org/blog/untitled11 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... Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:14:16 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/fall-conference-keynote-speakers-and-pre-conference-programs-announced http://www.hbma.org/blog/fall-conference-keynote-speakers-and-pre-conference-programs-announced 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... Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:09:43 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-s-annual-conference-now-just-a-month-away http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-s-annual-conference-now-just-a-month-away 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.... Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:25:12 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-plays-key-role-in-national-committee-on-vital-and-health-statistics-hearing http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-plays-key-role-in-national-committee-on-vital-and-health-statistics-hearing 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... Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:56:02 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/cms-calls-on-hbma-to-present-at-icd-10-vendor-conference-may-12 http://www.hbma.org/blog/cms-calls-on-hbma-to-present-at-icd-10-vendor-conference-may-12 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... Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:09:41 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/speakers-and-agenda-announced-for-hbma-2010-spring-conference http://www.hbma.org/blog/speakers-and-agenda-announced-for-hbma-2010-spring-conference 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... Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:08:48 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-2010-compliance-conference-details-announced http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-2010-compliance-conference-details-announced 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... Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:07:35 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-announces-2010-board-of-directors http://www.hbma.org/blog/hbma-announces-2010-board-of-directors 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... Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:06:39 -0500 http://www.hbma.org/blog/speakers-and-agenda-announced-for-healthcare-billing-management-association2 http://www.hbma.org/blog/speakers-and-agenda-announced-for-healthcare-billing-management-association2 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 ... Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:03:53 -0600 http://www.hbma.org/blog/complaint-based-process-presents-major-problems-for-hipaa-transaction-code-set-adoption2 http://www.hbma.org/blog/complaint-based-process-presents-major-problems-for-hipaa-transaction-code-set-adoption2 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... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:12:14 -0600