Practice Manager Insider

Free Medicare Remittance Advice Software

If you are still using Standard Paper Remittance (SPR), the free Medicare Remit Easy Print (MREP) software offered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may save you time and money. The software will allow physicians to view and print Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) files from their computers. MREP is designed to allow practice managers to:

•    Print the ERA in the SPR format
•    Print remittance information as soon as the HIPAA is available
•    Execute reports concerning denied, adjusted, and deductible applied claims
•    Find claims information easily using a customized search
•    Electronically store remittance advice records

CMS’s Provider Communications Group offers a Medicare Remit Easy Print (MREP) software brochure that can be used during provider outreach and training activities.

New Book: Cutting Costs in the Medical Practice, 2nd Edition, by Whiteman, Hermanson, and Palkon

With the 2006 Medicare physician reimbursement cuts and planned restructuring of off-label chemotherapy drug coverage looming, it’s crucial that oncology practice managers maximize cost efficiency in order to realize a profit. Cutting Costs in the Medical Practice, recently released by Greenbranch Publishing, provides “no-nonsense practical guidelines for approaching cost containment issues within the practice” to address these concerns.  Topics include:

• Identifying areas of financial concern
• Optimizing organizational structures
• Finding cost savings through participation with affiliated organizations
• Implementing evolving technologies, such as EMRs, to cut costs
• Recruiting and retaining practitioners

Alan S. Whiteman, PhD, FACMPE, has almost 30 years of experience managing and consulting with physician practices; Jerry Hermanson, MBA, CHE, has extensive experience in hospital and healthcare administration; and Dennis Palkon, PhD, MPH, MSW, is a full professor and past chairman of Health Administration at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan’s E-Prescribing Program

Medicare beneficiaries are not the only ones confronted with important choices in the face of the January 1, 2006, start date of Medicare’s new prescription drug plan. Oncology practices will also face a decision as to whether their physicians will make use of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan’s e-prescribing program. Participation by physicians and pharmacies is optional; however, if they choose to participate, they must comply with the Electronic Prescribing Standards, which were published by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 7, 2005. “These standards will allow Medicare, physicians, hospitals, group practices, other health providers, and prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations to take advantage of e-prescribing technology, to improve medication prescribing for Medicare beneficiaries that participate in the new prescription drug program,” said Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services. All Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan providers are required to support electronic prescribing, in an effort to encourage all physicians to eventually utilize this new and evolving technology.

CMS Provides Online Help for Choosing Medicare Part D Plans

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the launch of the Prescription Drug Plan Finder, an online resource to aid beneficiaries in choosing a Medicare Part D plan based on cost, coverage, and convenience. In addition, CMS is working with 140 community-based networks and nearly10,000 Medicare partners, including senior centers and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, to aid in educating seniors about the ground-breaking and often controversial drug plan. “People do not need to make a decision now—they can’t sign up for a plan for another month and they can get coverage on January 1 as long as they enroll by December 31, 2005.  As we get closer to the time to enroll, the new tools will help people make those decisions,” said Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD, CMS administrator.

Electronic Medical Records Could Save Billions

Using a statistical model, Rand Research Corporation determined that if electronic health records systems were adopted by 90% of hospitals and doctors the potential savings would be $81 billion a year.  Rand also reports that < 25% of hospitals and 20% of private practices have begun using electronic medical records. However, the study cautioned the immediate savings would not be realized by the doctors and hospitals making the investment, but rather would go to Medicare and private insurers. In addition, experts caution that most of the projected advances pertaining to electronic medical records are hypothetical and often based on unproven assumptions. Other difficulties include:

•    Each practice or hospital will recoup its investment costs at a different rate
•    To be fully effective, record networks will have to be able to share records
•    There is still doubt as to which computer systems to purchase.

For information on available electronic medical record systems you can consult Electronic Medical Record Comparisons By Physicians for Physicians.

"Secrets of the Best-Run Practices" by Judy Capko published August 15

“Secrets of the Best-Run Practices” by Judy Capko was published August 15, 2005. The founder of Capko & Company, Judy has specialized in medical practice operations and marketing for more than 20 years, and is a certified risk management specialist.  Her book addresses what she calls the "Not enough time, not enough money, too many demands" quandary that physicians and medical practice managers face today. Topics include: The Perfect Receptionist, Conquering Work and Patient Flow Problems, Mastering the Appointment Schedule, Common Sense Risk Management, The Dynamics of the Outpatient Academic Practice, Reshaping the Practice – A New Genre, and the Practice of The Future.

Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals: Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

Medicare will begin offering prescription drug benefits to all members starting January 1, 2006. To inform healthcare professionals and their patients about the options and mechanics of the new plan, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) has issued The Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals: Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.

The toolkit provides healthcare professionals a free downloadable resource consisting of:

•    A Call-to-Action letter from CMS administrator Mark   
      McClellan
•    Quick facts and a newsletter article
•    Information about coverage choices
•    Important dates for office staff and patients
•    Reproducible artwork, and brochures for patient education
•    A list of additional educational resources for physicians and
      patients

Practices may add their business logo to distributed materials.

Medicare Offering Free Electronic Records Software

According to The New York Times, most doctors have been hesitant to file patient records electronically due to the prohibitive cost and lack of confidence in customer support. Medicare, wishing to improve quality of service, has announced it will give doctors free software to create a computerized patient filing system. Installation of the electronic filing software, called Vista, will cost $10,000 to $12,000 per practice. In contrast, commercial systems generally cost $20,000 to $25,000 per doctor in a practice, which includes the cost of the software. “An office with five doctors could save more than $100,000 by choosing the Medicare software rather than buying software from a private company . . . ,” according to The New York Times. Vista has been used to file patient records for 2 decades within the Department of Veterans Affairs.