Public News

06/12/2013 - NSCHBC 2013 Annual Conference

06/11/2013 - How the New HIPAA Regulations Affect Billing Companies and Their Subcontractors as Business Associates

This article, taken from the May/June 2013 issue of HBMA Billing, addresses key provisions of the Final Rule applicable to billing companies and their subcontractors, enforcement changes, and recommended action items needed for compliance by billing companies and their subcontractors.

06/03/2013 - HIPAA Final Rule

On January 25, 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its Final Rule of modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) in accordance with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and Title I of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).

The stated purpose of the Final Rule is to both "strengthen the privacy and security protections" established under HIPAA and to "increase flexibility for and decrease burden on the regulated entities." The Final Rule amendments can be found in 45 Code Federal Regulations Parts 160 and 164. The amendments became effective on March 26, 2013 and will be enforced by the OCR beginning September 23, 2013.

The Final Rule implements most of the revisions to the Privacy and Security Rule of HIPAA that were proposed in the interim final rules published in 2009. It is expansive and this article will address just a few of the amendments affecting health care providers.

05/30/2013 - HBMA Launches NEW BUSINESS Program!

05/29/2013 - Good to Great Strategic Planning

Focusing on building the resources to compete � especially a workforce culture of employees actively working to improve business results � should be at the top of the strategic plan.

05/20/2013 - HBMA Billing for May/June is now online!

The May/June 2013 issue of HBMA Billing is now online. Click here to read and be up to date on recent news in the medical billing industry.

05/15/2013 - "Teaching From The Toolbox" Webinar Recording Now Available for Download

05/06/2013 - HBMA Spring Conference Recordings Now Available in Education on Demand!

04/30/2013 - Performance Review Hooey

Organizations are bustling with performance grading, self-reviews, rank ordering, goal setting, final performance evaluations, and merit pay raises, all in the name of managing performance. The amount of activity and anxiety the performance review process produces create stress for everyone involved. So what is all the fuss about?

04/23/2013 - Clinical Content Issues for the Third Party Biller

An article by Ron Sterling taken from the March-April 2013 edition of HBMA Billing.

04/17/2013 - 2012 Annual Report

04/11/2013 - Can't We Just Hover and Let Boston Come to Us?

If We Resist Change In Our Business Models, We Will Crash. An article by Phil Ellis, taken from the March/April issue of HBMA Billing

03/25/2013 - HBMA Members Sound Off Topic: How HBMA Has Benefited You!

In the January/February issue of HBMA Billing, members were asked to 'Sound Off' on how HBMA has benefited them.

03/25/2013 - Download the HBMA 2013 Spring Educational Conference App!

All the information you need for the HBMA 2013Spring Educational Conference - sessions, speaker and vendor info, maps, alerts, and so much more. Be informed and get the most out of your conference education!

03/18/2013 - HIPAA Transaction Codes Processing Changes

An article by Robert Burleigh, CHBME, from the January/February issue of HBMA Billing.

03/14/2013 - HBMA Board approves new Board Member appointment

03/05/2013 - The Medical Billing Industry is Changing. Are You?

We have all heard the saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Well, that saying just does not hold water any more. The medical billing industry is changing more today than I have seen in my five decades in this business.

02/27/2013 - Meet Bob Woodward at the meet-and-greet session on Wednesday, April 17th!

Meet Bob Woodward at the meet-and-greet session during the HBMA Spring Conference on Wednesday, April 17th.

02/21/2013 - Where Your Clients Might Be Losing Money in Their Practices

An article by David Doyle from the January/February issue of HBMA Billing.

02/18/2013 - Who is Bob Woodward, anyway?

02/07/2013 - Conducting Business in the Cloud, Part 2

As more management companies and medical practices transition their electronic records to private clouds, they risk long-term data outages and other crippling failures that may pose significant threats to their bottom lines.

02/06/2013 - Are Your Mobile Devices HIPAA Compliant? Practical Steps to Ensure Compliance

Ober | Kaler, Attorneys at Law, provides information on keeping your mobile devices compliant and safeguarding Patient Health Information (PHI)

01/30/2013 - HBMA Billing January/February Issue is Online!

01/29/2013 -

News from Washington - HIPAA Final Rule

01/22/2013 - ICD-10: Six Months Later, and We Still Have Questions

01/16/2013 - Don't Let an IT Project Crash Your Client's Practice

01/10/2013 - Branding in the Digital World

An article by Marc Oestrich published in the November/December 2012 issue of HBMA 'Billing'.

01/02/2013 -

Update on SGR and Fiscal Cliff

12/19/2012 - Section 408 Trusts � The Tax Shelter Every Business Owner Should Use

Every small business owner should use one tax shelter every year. It may mean the difference between retiring comfortably and not retiring at all: a Section 408 trust.

12/10/2012 - Conducting Business in the Cloud - Best Practices to Ensure that Your Data Is Safe

An article by Chris Seib, taken from the November/December 2012 issue of HBMA Billing. www.hbma.org/billing

11/27/2012 - HBMA Billing Journal for November/December is online

Check out the latest issue of HBMA Billing for November/December 2012.

11/21/2012 - SAVE THE DATE! HBMA Announces Opening Keynote Speaker for Spring Conference 2013

11/09/2012 - 5010 Readiness Defined

Over the past few weeks, HBMA has engaged in various discussions with you and others about the state of 5010 readiness within the industry.

11/06/2012 - New Operating Rules for Claims Processing are Fast Approaching

Deep within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are technical provisions that most of the press have ignored. They are directed squarely at the administrative burden faced by providers in the reimbursement process.

11/05/2012 - AMA

10/31/2012 - Medical Billing Certification renewal time for CHBME!

CHBME certification renewal time. Please visit your 'My CHBME' page and review your credits.

10/29/2012 - Data Visualization - Let Data Lead Your Marketing

An article by Marc Oestreich from the September/October issue of HBMA Billing.

10/08/2012 - Succeeding in an Evolving Industry - A Look at the Most Influential Trends in Healthcare Payments

The latest trends in the healthcare industry are driving change in the payments process for billing services. These include the rise of consumerism, increasing pressure on administrative costs, and ongoing reform mandates. In order to maximize performance for their clients in this evolving environment, billing services must be aware of how the industry is changing, acutely understand the challenges, and focus on specific areas of their services and solutions to improve performance and ultimately succeed and thrive in this new climate.

10/03/2012 - A Look at CMS' Proposed Rule on Reporting and Returning Overpayments

An article by Connie S. Ditto, Esq., taken from the September/October issue of HBMA Billing.

09/27/2012 - North Caroline Health Insurance Institute

09/05/2012 -

Healthcare Billing and Management Association 2012 Fall Conference - HBMA Mobile App

Going to the HBMA 2012 Fall Conference? Click here to get information about downloading the HBMA Fall Conference Mobile App! Maps, schedules and communications will help you keep on top of the meeting events.

09/05/2012 - Where Are the Health Care Entrepreneurs?

The United States lacks a culture of organizational innovation in health care. As we begin to implement the new health care law, there's a lot we can do to change that.

08/27/2012 - The Personal "Front" - Home and Retirement

Business is where you make your money and home is where you have your family and want to retire. This final installment of my series will concentrate on ensuring that you protect your personal residence and provide for your retirement. This will not be your standard retirement advisor's pep talk.

08/13/2012 - Three Mindsets for Growing Your Business and Sales

If I ask you not to think about pink elephants, what will you think about? Be honest! You're thinking about pink elephants! But why would you, when I asked you not to?

08/08/2012 - NEW! Social Sharing tools on HBMA.ORG!

Share HBMA news and events with your friends and contacts on social media websites.

08/07/2012 - Former Speaker of the House speaks at the HBMA 2012 Fall Conference

HBMA hosted the Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and 2012 Presidential Candidate, the Honorable Newt Gingrich, at the HBMA 2012 Fall Conference.

08/03/2012 - HIPAA Security and Privacy Exposure

In the flurry of activities associated with EHRs, ICD-10, and other healthcare industry challenges, many organizations have not maintained proper attention to evolving HIPAA Security and Privacy issues. Of particular importance to your billing service are changes to HIPAA Security and Privacy that were included in the HITECH Act, making Business Associates responsible for liability and remedy of HIPAA Privacy and Security issues. Penalties for these breaches have been increased to a maximum of $1.5 Million.

07/27/2012 - Choosing the Right Clearinghouse - Five Essential Qualities

An article by Bill Marvin taken from the July/August issue of HBMA Billing

07/25/2012 - HBMA Government Relations Summer 2012 Update

The HBMA Government Relations Committee has published a 'Government Relations Update' which is now posted on the HBMA website (www.hbma.org).

07/23/2012 - The July/August issue of HBMA Billing Journal is now live!

07/16/2012 - The Essential Ingredient to Ensure an Effective EHR Implementation

An article by Mark R. Anderson, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, taken from the May/June 2012 issue of HBMA Billing.

07/10/2012 - How to handle medical billing errors

Tips on how to stay on top of your medical bills and determine and fix errors in medical billing charges.

07/03/2012 - FREE AUDIOCAST - Supreme Court Decision Update with HBMA Government Affairs

FREE Audiocast for HBMA members on the Supreme Court decision on Healthcare Reform. Join Bill Finerfrock, HBMA Director of Government Affairs for this important overview of what the Supreme Court decision means to our industy.

06/26/2012 - Technical Review of Your EHR Options

In addition to the functional capabilities of any EHR options that you may be considering for your billing service, you need to verify the technical design of the EHR to ensure that not only will your clients be able to manage workflow and chart patient notes, but that their information will also be protected and managed within the EHR.

06/26/2012 - HBMA Photo Gallery

View post conference and post event pictures here!

06/14/2012 - ICD-10 - Despite the Deadline Extension, It's Still Time to Prepare

The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced its intent to push back the October 1, 2013 ICD-10 compliance deadline for certain health care entities. The new proposed date is October 1, 2014. Based on what the industry has learned from the transition to 5010, we all know that it is never too early to start preparing!

06/07/2012 - Four Ways To Boost Social Security Benefits

An article by Patick Newcombe, CFP, from the May/June issue of HBMA Billing

05/30/2012 - Consumerism in Healthcare Payments

The sweep of consumerism in healthcare has brought changes to the healthcare payments process, driving billing services to evaluate their collection tactics. While providers previously relied almost exclusively on payer payments for their revenue, patient responsibility payments are now an increasingly important provider revenue source. Billing services must increase their focus on collecting from patients.

05/29/2012 - Special Thanks to HBMA Volunteers Contributing to CMS Comments

A thank you to all contributors that participated in helping HBMA prepare comments that were distributed to CMS on behalf of the members of HBMA.

05/21/2012 - HBMA Billing for May/June is online!

05/21/2012 - National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants 2012 Annual Meeting

05/14/2012 - Hospital EHRs and Your Billing Services

For a wide range of reasons, many hospitals are actively promoting EHR products to their medical staff physicians. In some cases, hospitals offer specific products that they support and host. Alternatively, some hospitals promote one or more selected EHR tools on a preferred EHR vendor list.

04/30/2012 - How Can HBMA Government Advocacy Benefit You?

04/30/2012 - Medical Banking Streamlines Paper EOB Processing

One experienced, highly efficient data entry person can post approximately 4,000 remittances per month. Automating the process easily increases that same person's output by 300%.

04/11/2012 - E/M: Physician Versus Facility

04/04/2012 - The Alphabet Soup of Medicare Contractors

Navigating through the lists of Medicare contractors can seem overwhelming. QIO, MACs, FIs, RAs, CERT, ZPICs? As healthcare professionals, we need to understand the roles and objectives of these contractors and how they affect our practices.

03/29/2012 - The Truth about HIPAA-HITECH and Data Backup

This article sets the record straight on a very specific aspect of the HIPAA Security Final Rule: the Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Specifications within the contingency plan standards. We separate myth from reality about what exactly is required of whom and by what dates Covered Entities (CEs) and Business Associates (BAs) must comply with these specifications.

03/28/2012 - The HBMA 2012 Spring Educational Conference Mobile App is here!

The Spring Conference mobile app has been created for attendees of the HBMA 2012 Spring Educational Conference. This is available for smart phones and tablets and will allow you to have all the Spring Conference information right at your hands.

03/07/2012 - A Reminder: Opportunities to Expand and Keep Your Business

An article by Steven Peltz from the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of HBMA Billing.

03/05/2012 - What to Do When Services are Not Paid by a Commercial Payer

If a practice is contracted as a participating provider with commercial insurers and networks, it must pay close attention to the patient "Hold Harmless" sections of the agreements.

02/20/2012 - The EHR and ICD-10 Connection

The upcoming ICD-10 start date of October 1, 2013 creates a critical path that can affect the EHR strategy and plans of you and your clients.

02/13/2012 - Predictions for 2012 and Beyond

Dave Jakielo, CHBME and past president of HBMA, gives his healthcare predictions for 2012. Taken from the January/February issue of HBMA 'Billing'.

02/09/2012 - Communicating with Congress: More Important Now Than Ever Before

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that works with congressional offices to make them more efficient and responsive to constituent requests. According to CMF's most recent survey, over 95 percent of congressional offices identified personal communications from constituents as the single most important factor influencing the members' views on an issue. Personal visits are at the top of the list, but written letters or emails are not far behind.

01/30/2012 - Competing in an EHR-Driven Business Environment By Ron Sterling

01/26/2012 - Payer Contracting

With skyrocketing costs and declining payer reimbursements, practices are struggling to find ways to increase � or just maintain � the bottom line. Practices can improve their revenues through an aggressive payer contracting strategy. How?

01/24/2012 - OIG Posts HEAT PCT Videos / OIG Reports / State Enforcement Actions

OIG posts a new video and an audio podcast, �Tips for Implementing an Effective Compliance Program,� the seventh of 11 HEAT Provider Compliance Training video and audio presentations on top health care compliance topics.

01/12/2012 - Compliance FAQs

How much information can a biller leave on an answering machine when calling for address or insurance updates? Check out our 'Compliance FAQs' for more information

01/04/2012 - The Only Constant is Change ...

Another year has quickly flown by and it is already time to prepare for 2012. In today's environment, it is impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen in the world of physician reimbursement. One thing we know for sure, change is constant.

01/03/2012 - Patient Portals, EHRs, and Third Party Billing

Patient portals provide cost effective tools to interact with patients on a wide range of administrative, billing, and scheduling issues at lower costs for your organization. They offer an added value benefit to your clients.

12/19/2011 - Medicare's Provider Enrollment Revalidation Process

Over the coming months and years, CMS's Medicare Administrative Contractors will begin to request that practitioners revalidate their Medicare provider enrollment information. Between now and April 2012, CMS will continue to improve internet-based PECOS to make it easier for the providers to update their information and submit their revalidation application.

12/15/2011 - Tips on Preparing for 5010

Be Proactive: Prepare Now for 5010 Data Reporting Changes!
If you use the current version of the HIPAA electronic administrative transactions, such as checking a patient's eligibility, filing a claim, or receiving a remittance advice, you are required by federal regulation to use the updated version of these transactions, version 005010 (5010), by Jan. 1, 2012. There are data reporting changes in these transactions that will impact the data that you send and receive. It is important for you to make these changes and test the 5010 transactions to be certain that they will process correctly on Jan. 1, 2012. Be prepared for the 5010 transactions to avoid claim rejections and interrupted cash flow.

11/23/2011 - AMA - Get Paid FAster

11/23/2011 - HBMA Goes Social!

11/01/2011 - AMA - Heal the Claims

10/17/2011 - 5010 Readiness Defined

10/12/2011 - Register Today for the ICD-10 and Version 5010 Webinar: October 20, 2011, 1 pm ET

10/12/2011 - Medicare�s Provider Enrollment Revalidation Process

09/08/2011 - Medicare Learning Network� (MLN)

09/06/2011 - Government Relations - CMS Meetings

09/01/2011 - HBMA Comments � Medicare Physician Fee Schedule NPRM

08/24/2011 - HBMA 2010 Annual Report

08/02/2011 - HIPAA Privacy Rule: Accounting of Disclosures under HITECH

03/22/2010 - Meaningful Use Criteria