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July - August 2018 •
Volume 23, Issue 4
Sharing Knowledge and Inspiration
President's Message
By Ginger Ryder, CMPE, CHBME, CPC
This issue should arrive in your inbox or mailbox as summer is in full swing. It is my hope that after you have attended to all the joys in your life that you are also looking forward to what the routine of the back-to-school season will bring. For example, our annual RCM conference coming Sept. 12-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our Education Committee has worked long and hard on our fall program. Click for more

HBMA News
News from Around the HBMA
By RCM Advisor Editors
Are You Maximizing Your HBMA?Membership?; New HBMA Members; CHBME Quiz Questions; HBMA 2018 Healthcare Revenue Cycle Conference Click for more

RCM Advisor 2018 Buyers Guide
HBMA Membership Benefit
By RCM Advisor Editors
This issue of RCM Advisor includes a listing of companies that have developed products and services HBMA members need to better serve their clients and conduct their business. Click for more

Building Better Billers
KPI To Improve Your Competitive Edge.
By Ray Jorgensen, CPC
In 1998, our billing firm was still in its infancy. As a small regional company, we took on any client without regard for specialty. While trying to find our footing, we often observed and emulated what other firms had done. As our client list grew, we continued this trial-and-error method and quickly learned some valuable lessons. Below I share a few of these with you. Click for more

Administrative Simplification Enforcement
Health plans and other industry participants must adhere to HIPAA standards, and those who fail must face reprimand.
Contributed by the American Medical Association (AMA)
In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) legislation that mandated standard electronic transactions for use in the exchange of information between providers and health plans. Designed to streamline healthcare revenue cycle processes, HIPAA established a common method for providers to communicate across all health plans, with the goal of eliminating plan-specific methods that led to inefficiencies for providers. Click for more

Communication Risks
Emails, voicemails, messages, and social mediaâ??how many ways can a healthcare manager get into trouble?
By Robert Liles
The risks associated with poor or improper communications in healthcare compliance cannot be understated as they permeate virtually every aspect of a healthcare provider’s organization and operations. Click for more

Proven Strategies to Implement Effective Financial Engagement for Patients
Two case studies of forward-thinking billing services companies.
By Alyssa Slabek
The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of patients who owe something after a provider visit. In fact, the average deductible among all workers has increased 82 percent since 2009, from $826 to $1,505 in 2017 (Kaiser Family Foundation). Click for more

High-Level Patient Visits
Coding Corner
By Cindy Parman
A woman who went to the emergency department in an Ohio hospital did not leave the waiting room. The patient was experiencing pain, but while waiting to be seen by the emergency room doctor, she felt better and decided to go home. She was surprised to receive a bill for $1,059... Click for more

What You Do (And How You Do It)
Leadership
By Michelle Durner, CHBME
Are you a leader? Henry Givray of Leadership’s Calling® says that “Leadership is not something bestowed upon you or granted to you by virtue of your lofty title or set of responsibilities. Rather, true leadership is invited and can only be given willingly by others based on who you are, what you do, and how you do it.” Click for more

Commercial Payor Relations Committee Update
Committee Update
By Greg Wehrman, CHBME
At last year’s HBMA conference, an attendee walked up to me and said, “I like what your committee is doing. Thank you for your efforts.” I thanked this person for telling me this, but I also corrected them. I said, “It’s not my committee. It is the membership’s committee. I just happen to be at the helm right now.” Click for more

Excel Functions Every Excel User Should Know, Pt. 6
Software Talk
By Nate Moore, CPA, MBA, FACMPE
This article will add two more Excel functions to our list of functions that can be helpful in analyzing medical practice data: LARGE and SMALL. Both functions assume you have a list and want to choose a value from the list either starting at the largest (LARGE) or the smallest (SMALL). Click for more

Customer Service: Going, Going, Gone
From the Road
By Dave Jakielo, CHBME
Many of us grew up hearing the catchphrase “The customer is king,” meaning they were the most important part of the business equation. Or, they heard it as “Rule #1: The customer is always right.” And, when you think they are wrong, Rule #2 is to re-read Rule #1. Click for more

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