How Much Money Can I Make As A Medical Insurance Biller And Coder?

How much money you can make as a Medical Insurance Biller and Coder is one of the first questions people ask who are interested in taking medical billing training. I've included coding here since some many schools combine billing and coding courses and programs now and there are good reasons to be familiar with how to do both.

You may not need to do actual coding if you are a biller but you will need to understand codes. Likewise you may not need to know how to do billing if you're a coder. This is all going to be dependent on the company that hires you and there are hundreds of variations related to a job as a medical insurance biller or medical coder.

The amount of money you'll make or your wages and salary as a Medical Insurance Biller and Coder will depend on how much education you've had and what kind of medical billing training and how much experience you've had. You may make more money in a billing service that focuses on medical billing than you would if you worked in billing in a doctor's office or even a large medical office.

The salary range can vary a great deal from $25,000 on up. If you start your own medical billing service you'll make more money perhaps once you have the clients but you'll also have more expenses and overhead to contend with. And getting those first clients will not be easy.

You can work part-time and full-time in billing claims services. Many opt to work part-time to get their foot in the door and gain some experience then approach large companies and offer their resume, experience and services.

What your salary or wages will be shouldn't be the only criteria for working in medical billing and coding. You want to make sure you'll like the work and would be happy. Also you want to get your training in the minimum amount needed and without paying a lot of money outlay before you know that you'll like the work and be happy go to work every day.

You can call your local billing services and ask for the Human Resources Department and ask what the pay averages for a Medical Insurance Biller and/or Medical Coder. Some areas of the country pay more money than others and you'll get a good idea if this field is the best fit for you in terms of salary.

Next for secrets & tips on medical billing as a career or home business, choosing the best medical billing training, best medical coding and billing schools, online courses, work at home & financing see a nurse's website: http://www.MedicalBillingTrainingInfo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Hecker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6587217

The Importance of Medical Billing Codes

The process of medical billing is an interaction between a health care professional and the insurance company. By submitting and following up on insurance claims, healthcare providers receive payment for services they render. Medical billing codes play an important role in this process because they determine the amount of reimbursement the healthcare provider receives. Various codes exist for diagnosis, treatment, drugs, dental services, Medicare, and hospital treatment.

When a patient visits the doctor, a medical record is created. The doctor issues a diagnosis or cites a reason for the visit. A level of service is established, based on patient history, comprehensiveness of a physical examination, and complexity of medical decision making. This service level is subsequently converted to standardized procedure code taken from the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) database. The diagnosis is also translated to a numerical code, taken from an ICD-9-CM database.

To arrive at these codes, medical coders translate the doctor notes from the patient visit into the proper numerical sequences. Treatment and diagnosis codes are listed on the claim form transmitted to the insurance company. Electronic transmission is the most common method, replacing paper forms used in the past. Medical claim adjusters or examiners with the insurance company process the claims. An approved claim is reimbursed at a certain percentage of billed services pre-negotiated by the insurance company and healthcare provider.

If a medical coder does not understand how to determine and assign the correct codes, the claim will be rejected by the insurance company. A rejected claim is returned to the healthcare provider, usually in the form of an electronic remittance advice or explanation of benefits, also called an EOB. The provider must then decipher the information, reconcile the details with the claim originally submitted, make any necessary corrections to the claim, and submit the revised claim to the insurance company.

Though these extra steps may not seem time or labor intensive for one claim, consider the hundreds of claims submitted by a single healthcare provider each week. In some cases, claims may be rejected and resubmitted multiple times before they are paid in full. It is not uncommon for a provider to eventually give up and accept incomplete reimbursement. To avoid loss of income for the provider, medical coders should assign the correct codes the first time the claim is submitted.

Nearly 50 percent of the time, a claim is either denied, rejected, or overpaid. This is due to the highly complex nature of some claims and errors resulting from similarities that exist with diagnoses. In some cases, the insurance company is to blame for attempting to get away without covering certain services. After the medical coder makes a small adjustment and resubmits the claim with relevant documentation, the denial may be overturned.

On October 01, 2013, the ICD-10-CM database will replace the ICD-9-CM version. Medical coders must become familiar with the medical billing codes contained in this database, so they can hit the ground running when submitting insurance claims in the future. Properly coding each claim ensures that the healthcare provider is accurately reimbursed.

It is imperative that medical billing codes are entered properly when submitting forms to insurance companies for reimbursement for services rendered. If you are experiencing denials or other challenges due to improper medical billing codes being submitted on forms, visit All-Things-Medical-Billing.com today for more assistance and information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Conrad_Wysor

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6586214

Starting A Home-Based Medical Coding Business

Medical coding, apart from being a promising professional career, is today a fruitful and progressive prospect in terms of initiating a home-based business. You will come across various experienced medical coders, offering their medical facilities and services to various healthcare providers by working from their home offices. Not only is this business excelling nowadays, it can also help any medical coder earn a good amount of profits while gaining maximum exposure by dealing with various clients.

Also, making medical coding work as a home business can be a matter of utmost convenience as well because you are able to work on flexible hours and avoid increasing your expenditure that may come otherwise due to frequent commute. Nonetheless, it is important to have some keenness and enthusiasm so start-up with a business that requires you to be dedicated and diligent. This is because in the course of assignment, you need to have a comprehensive plan that you can follow to deliver the work on a timely schedule.

When you are in the midst of starting a medical coding business based at home, it is significant to acquire its training and certification. As this certification is high in demand, there are multiple schools offering even online programs that are affordable and quite convenient for one to pursue. However, before you enroll, make sure you have had a detailed look at the course structure, your budget and lifestyle to ensure whether or not you will be able to cope with the program. Not to forget, the accredited certification in the end would surely be worth the efforts.

Moreover, sufficient experience in established companies, hospitals or in a medical practitioner's clinic can prove to be quite valuable for such an initiative. A hands-on experience is quite valuable in this field, as one without any familiarity with the functioning scenario and task schedule of medical coding would not be easily hired by any company or hospital. Also, the exposure will give a better idea regarding the profits of the business.

Having done with the training, certification and the experience, you would then surely be ready to start-up your medical coding profitable home-based business. If you already have substantial amount of funds saved for the business, that is fine; otherwise, you would have to secure a loan to start-up a running business. Also, do not forget to market your services as this is quite a competitive field and clients are attracted to only the medical coder who is able to solve their problems in minimal time. Focus on what they require and what are their expectations, and your business will be thriving within no time.

If you're ready to start your Medical Coding Training & Certification, we have more great tools and resources on our website http://www.medicalcodingtrainingcertification.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elyse_Hartman

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6607333

A Brief on Medical Billing And Coding Schools

Medical billing and coding schools will help a person to obtain employment in medical billing. In order to obtain employment, a person needs to go to the right school. There are many schools that offer medical billing and coding, but they all may not prepare the person to be successful. In order to start the process of working in the medical field, a person will need to research the top three schools. Most doctors will prefer a person who has received not only book training, but hands-on-experience.

Self-Paced and Vocational Schools Online

Career Step is a self-paced online course that takes 640 hours to complete. The course prepares students to sit to become certified. There is no hands-on-training, but a student will not have a hard time finding employment after graduation. Career Step is one the medical billing and coding schools that provides a quality education to their students. At Career Step, the financial aid department will help a student to finance their education. They offer private loans, scholarships, and payment plans.

A person who doesn't have the funds to a self-paced school can look for vocational schools. Vocational schools that offer medical billing and coding can be found by entering in "medical billing and coding" and "vocational schools" in the search engine box. Vocational schools may offer financial assistance to students. Most of the medical billing and coding schools offer training online. A person may want to contact as many schools as possible to find out what their curriculum is and if the school offers job placement. It may be a good idea to find a vocational school in the same state that you live since a lot of the schools tend to have connections in the state where the school is located.

Community Colleges

Medical billing and coding schools online are good for someone who doesn't want to commute to school. On the other hand, a student may need to see their instructor face-to-face. Community colleges are another place where a person can receive training in medical billing and coding. When a person goes to a community college, they can apply for financial aid. The student may have to take entrance tests such as Reading, Writing, and Math. Once the student graduates from the course, they will be able to find work if they get into contact with the Career Services department. At a community college, the Career Services department has a list of hospitals and clinics that hire their graduates.

My name is Michael K. Jones and I am a full-time Medical biller who specializes in medicare accounts.I am a blogger, entrepreneur, and an overall thinker. Check out my latest blog on medical billing medicalbillingncoding.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_K._Jones

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6587666

Bare Essentials of Medical Insurance

With all the health reforms on the table for debate recently, a topic that has always been brought up is an important and relevant issue. What exactly counts as an "essential health benefit" that your health policy absolutely needs? The debate has covered everything from a set list to 10 broad categories. Things like professional services performed by physicians and other health professionals, hospitalizations, and medication costs have been included in the list of essential benefits. New Insurance plans will reflect these features, but as of now, new regulations on health insurance have yet to be defined. It is hard to gauge what this will mean for health industries, for insurance companies, and how it will affect you.

The bare essentials covered by Medical Insurance plays a large part in determining the affordability factor in buying health insurance. Policy options and what the costs cover can either be expensive if too many things are featured, whereas comprehensive benefit packages are too expensive for average people. The difficult issue remains, how to determine what the essential benefits that will apply to the masses, not a select few and make the package relatively affordable. There is going to have to be great strategic planning and smart balancing so that not every miniscule thing is covered, but be not so generic and broad that the plan will be out of reach for many people.

Can we take precedence on any previous policy plans and use it as an example? Not really, but many organizations like The National Health Council and Health & Human Services are working together to create a list of important and useful benefits that most insurers should think about covering on their basic plans. Medical Insurance can also take a great amount of precedent learning from Medicare's physician insurance, which clearly states what the benefits are, and at what specific level of the policy they're covered.

The debate is still, whether to spell out specific benefits covered in medical Insurance, or to go with more broad benefit categories. Throw in making healthcare affordable for all, and we have quite a challenge on our hands. Hopefully the health reforms will improve current healthcare conditions and be more of a benefit rather than a challenge for all to have. It's important for the government to regulate some aspects of the medical insurance industry, but certainly not all aspects. Whatever happens, be sure you shop around and compare many different policies from different insurance providers in order to find the right policy and budget for your needs.

Free-lance writer with a passion for Writing and Research.

Amanda Rodriguez

Family Medical Insurance

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Rodriguez

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6605064

How to Contact Your Insurance Correctly

Using the following health insurance tips when calling your health insurance company will ensure you are doing all you can to protect yourself from unneeded cost only to find out that the information you were given was inaccurate, and now it is your responsibility to prove you were told differently. These few steps can ensure that your voice is heard and the information that you were given is honored.

1. Be Prepared

The key to success with most tasks in life revolves around being prepared for the situation you are about to face. Why should calling your health insurance company be any different? Have paper, pen, id cards, and a nice quiet room ready for your call. Though having this labeled in health insurance tips section can seem like a no-brainer, it's incredible the volume of callers that are not prepared to even hold their phone to their ear. Having the material ready can also be somewhat of an inconvenience to get these items together, I promise the headaches that it may save later far make up for the short-term delay.

Health insurance tips once the call is connected

2. Enter your information

This is important, you may think that you are saving time by skipping the prompts and getting right to a representative. Truth is you are not, and infarct you are giving the health insurance representative even less information to be able to help you when they get on the phone. With your information entered they can browse through past issues and begin to help you instead of having to ask for all the information that was not entered correctly.

3. Get a name

This may seem like an easy thing to remember, but it is very common to get calls from members that forgot who they had talked to on a past conversation. Consumers get on the phone with a health insurance representative and are so intent on trying to resolve the situation as fast as possible, that they forget some of the basic.

4. Ask for an Issue #

Each company has their own way of recording the documentation of the calls that come in, but one thing is for sure they do keep records on files for all calls that are received. This documentation will contain exact times, dates, representative's names, and other miscellaneous information.

5. Verify

Don't take for granted that every representative at a health insurance company that you talk to will take an accurate word-by-word representation of your encounter. Asking "Did you document that Dr. is in my network?" or "Did you put that benefit into my notes?" Asking now is better than hearing later that the representative skipped notes about that portion of the call. Everyone makes mistakes, so to ensure you are going to be able to stand by everything you heard on that call take some responsibility to help guarantee the information that you were will be used.

6. Organize

Taking the information down is only the first half of the equation; you must be prepared to be able to find the information at any given time. Following all the previous health insurance tips will mean nothing if you are unable to find your notes when needed. So set up an efficient way for you to find the information: email, file cabinet, notebook, etc...

7. Retain

Health Insurance companies allow for adjustments to their claims for up to two years. So even if a bill is paid by your health insurance company, don't assume that it cannot be changed. Just the opposite way, just because a claim has been denied doesn't mean that with the valuable notes that you have taken that the claim cannot be reconsidered in your favor.

To find more tips join me at MedInsuranceTips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shaun_Clayborne

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6611788

What Is the Medical Billing and Coding Field of Study?

Patients tend to tune out the numbers they see on medical paperwork. However, to medical, insurance, and public health entities, these numbers are vital. They are the medical billing & coding numbers that form a universal language for the specific identification of diseases, injuries, tests, and procedures.

According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) "The WHO Family of International Classifications," WHO oversees the promulgation of health classifications. The collection of all coding tools is the WHO-FIC (World Health Organization Family of Classifications). It includes the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).

WHO notes in "International Classification of Diseases (ICD)," that the ICD is now in its tenth edition (ICD-10), which was endorsed in 1990 and put into use in 1994. Used by health agencies for tracking morbidity and mortality through medical records and death certificates, it classifies diseases and injuries.

"The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)," explain the use of the ICF, a more recent compendium of codes for health and disability, with domains for body, individual, and societal factors. The ICF is broken down into two lists, one for bodily functions and structures, and the other for domains of activity and participation. It also includes environmental factors that have an impact on individuals' functioning.

"The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI)," explains how the ICHI provides researchers, health agencies, and service providers with codes for reporting and analyzing health interventions in various degrees of specificity. The common terminology allows for easy comparisons of data. Initially limited to surgical procedures, the ICHI now covers a wide range of both curative and preventative health care services.

Meditech, a member of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), explains in "Resorouces," that the standardized system for medical billing and coding is the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)..

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has delegated authority under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) for the establishment of uniform medical billing codes. Both public and private insurers use this coding system to process claims. The two principal subsystems of HCPCS are level I and level II.

Level I use the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) developed and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA). These five-digit codes are used to identify services and procedures provided by health care professionals and facilities. The AMA reviews and updates the CPT codes annually.

Level II codes identify medical products, supplies, and services that are not covered under the CPT. These codes are alpha-numeric, consisting of a single letter and four digits. The alpha characters include A for ambulance services and general supplies, D for dental services, and J for injections.

Together, these coding systems enable providers, researchers, insurers, health departments, vital records offices, and epidemiologists, as well as governmental and non-governmental agencies, to uniformly obtain and analyze the full range of medical needs and trends worldwide.

Mitchell Gavillion is a freelance writer who covers various industries including health care, education, and fitness. Mitchell has been focusing on ICD-10 and the impact on medical billing and coding certification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mitch_Gavillion

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6640362

The Nuances of Filling in Blanks in Medical Transcription

Are you a medical transcriptionist who goes through the trauma of trying to fill in blanks in medical transcription? There are many ways to overcome this hurdle and it happens to even experienced transcriptionists. With some of dictation being inaudible, medical transcriptionists go through dictations that are marred by noise in the background, doctors who mumble bad audio, new words, difficult medical terms and different types of accents. As a result, the transcriptionists will not be able to grasp what the doctor is saying and there will be blanks in the transcript. You can reduce the blanks with some tried and true techniques.

One of the rules is never to type in exactly what you heard. Listen to the dictation again till you are sure that it is right word. Guess work does not help and leaving a blank is better as you can rehear the same sentence or paragraph later while editing. Listen to the entire sentence and you will be able to fill in all the blanks while getting your transcript at least 95% correct. If you feel that the blank refers to a drug, then run through the complaints and symptoms that coincide or correlate with that particular word. If the term or word sounds like it is to do with anatomy, go through reference or think of their action, structures and names. Or if you think that word can be an abbreviation, look up all the terms that could possibly fit in sensibly in the blank.

Explore Your Grasping Abilities

You could also search the internet for possible references to patient names, doctors' names and hospital names to fit in the blank or if it's a new drug, you can always refer to websites that showcase the latest in medicines. You can check with your colleagues if they have any previous transcripts dictated by the same doctor or reports that you might have transcribed earlier. Most of these are stereo type reports by the same doctor and it will be easier to trace. Try to check with similar types of reports dictated by the doctor whose report you are transcribing. For instance, if it's to do with a particular operation or a lumbar spine MRI, the dictation will be the same no matter who the doctor is.

It is necessary to practice in your free time and become familiar with tough dictations. These voice files can be heard over and over again till you are familiar with difficult dictations and do not need to have a hard time later trying to decipher inaudible medical terms or words. Get your friends to listen to the blanks as they may hear it differently and will be able to come up with the right word so that you can complete your transcript on time. As these medical records are a very critical matter, it is best if you get the right word that is in context and exactly what the doctor has dictated. It is better to be safe than sorry and though it's a hard task to fill in blanks, its better if you leave a blank than try to fill it in with an unrelated word which will not be accepted by the doctor. You can always ask the doctor if you do have access to him/her and try to rectify the matter.

V Transcription Showcases Expertise and excellence in Transcribing Medical Records

V Transcription has established itself as an excellent medical transcription company in Belden, Mississippi, USA. Blending accuracy, timely delivery and a cost-effective approach, the company provides quality transcription to vendors overseas with expertise, experience and efficacy. V Transcription is powered by Infra-ware to provide outsourced medical transcription solution for medical records documentation. The company delivers medical reports adhering to stringent HIPAA regulations, besides following all the latest updates of the HITECH Act. Incorporating data-interchange with healthcare facilities, the transfer process evolves on a 128-bit SSL certified platform to ensure protection and privacy.

For More Details: http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jagan_Mohan

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648293

What Is Medical Transcription (MT)?

Do you know what medical transcription is all about? Medical Transcription, or MT, is utilized by allied health professions by way of reports that are voice recorded. These reports are dictated by healthcare professionals and/or physicians and are converted into a text format. Originating in 1975, this transcription was developed through a process called MRP, or Manufacturing Resource Planning, with an advanced version formatted later called MRP2. Evolving from typewriters to electronic typewriters to computers, medical transcription is conveyed through speech recognition or SR or continuous speech recognition also known as CSR.

With the growing need for electronic records that would be permanent and precise, the storage and transfer of medical records from desktop computers connected to efficient and effective servers has changed the face of medical record service. Giving rise to services of medical transcription companies globally, goes through several stages. As soon as a patient leaves a doctor's room after examination and discussion of the problems or history, the doctor utilizes and records the diagnosis and plan of treatment for the patient. This information is dictated into a voice-recording device or in to a telephone that can be dialed to connect to a central server which can either be situated in the transcription service office or unit or in the hospital. With the vital information being relayed to the medical transcriptionist, the doctor can access the report as soon as it is transcribed.

How are Medical Records Transcribed?

There are many medical transcription companies who offer voice recognition software that provide services to hospitals, health systems, and clinics internationally. The medical transcriptionist then format, edit and review the medical document with the use of equipment called a medical transcriber. Using state-of-the-art technology to streamline data, the MT companies transcribe various types of medical records that cover the gamut of transcription services that follow HIPAA and HITECH Act standards and practices. Offering their expertise to healthcare facilities and providers, MT companies train them to hone and develop skills.

As a criterion, they are required to absorb, inculcate and render perfect medical records that adhere to HIPAA and HITECH regulations. The MT companies train them with knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, memory and typing skills, spelling, accuracy, punctuation multiple specialties, multiple report types and grammar besides being proficient on the computer. With constant upgrades the transcriptionist is put through stringent paces to maintain charts, file records, adhere to related templates and complete transcribing with quick turnaround time. They must also be efficient enough to identify and transcribe various accents and pronunciations.

Medical transcription service is often outsourced as the cost is cheaper in various countries as compared to the U.S. dollar. With the outsourced medical transcription being cost-effective and efficient, many of the foreign outsourcing companies have realized profits with the work adhering to security, privacy, quick grasp of accents, geography, knowledge of medical terms and drug names. The outsourced transcriptionists offer value, quality and capability besides offering their principals the advantages of outsourcing medical transcription.

V Transcription offers the Benefits of Outsourced Medical Transcription

V Transcription has established itself as an excellent medical transcription company in Belden, Mississippi, USA. Blending accuracy, timely delivery and a cost-effective approach, the company provides quality transcription to vendors overseas with expertise, experience and efficacy. V Transcription is powered by Infra-ware to provide outsourced medical transcription solution for medical records documentation. The company delivers medical reports adhering to stringent HIPAA regulations, besides following all the latest updates of the HITECH Act. Incorporating data-interchange with healthcare facilities, the transfer process evolves on a 128-bit SSL certified platform to ensure protection and privacy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jagan_Mohan

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6631132

Important Difference in UK Vs US Health Insurance Models

More so than ever, insurance price hikes in the US are becoming common place. The insurers are fighting back in many cases, albeit in vain as it is only to defend profit margins as opposed to something more conceivable such as cost of operations increasing or anomalies in the amount of claims being submitted.

However, in the UK, BUPA recently made a very risky, yet honourable amendment to their corporate plans. This amendment saw the Open Referrals Process forced upon corporate clients. The Open Referrals process means that, instead of referring these patients directly to a consultant, GPs will have to provide them with an open referral (a referral for a procedure with no named consultant).

Now this has come under criticism, mainly from BUPA's intermediaries who were shocked that they had no prior knowledge of this change and potentially some doctors who will view it as another attempt to interfere in the referral process and reduce choice.

The point of the matter is that this represents a bold move.

Prior to this, BUPA polled their intermediaries, existing open referral clients and some 12,000+ members, resulting in the majority preferring to make private medical insurance more sustainable above all other wishes, such as premium increases.

This shows that two industries, both facing huge health policy shake-ups on their respective sides of the Atlantic acting in very different ways in response to potential industry crisis; one protecting margins by reducing service delivery costs, the other pushing premiums up.

It would be unfair to compare the two in complete isolation which points me to recent news that Aviva UK has revamped its cancer cover in response to demand for a more comprehensive offering. It could be argued that this is nothing more than a PR exercise following the Mercer report, a study that found elements of cancer cover and care are confusing to corporate decision makers selecting medical plans, as well as claimants covered by those plans.

However Aviva not only responded to those claims by removing limits, but also added "aftercare" benefits including cover for consultations with dieticians and help with the cost of wigs (up to £100) and external prostheses (up to £5,000).

There is more evidence of innovation among UK Private Medical Insurance companies issuing money back guarantees as a method of gaining competitive advantage.

Whether UK or US based, Private Medical Insurance companies need to utilise the recent bravery and innovation which Aviva and BUPA have both displayed, especially now that the recent Health and Social Care Bill has been passed by the House of Lords, which will see a level of private healthcare competition incorporated into the NHS.

Duncan Dibble

Content Manager

http://www.HealthEconomicsDigest.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_N_Dibble

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6661818

Medical Billing - Front End Strategies

A recent article in the New York Times by Ann Carrns, Medical Debt Cited More Often in Bankruptcies, discusses the increase to 20 percent from 12 to 13 percent for those citing medical debt as a factor in seeking financial counseling. She also goes on to point out that people do not want to default on medical payments. In fact, instead of not paying their healers, they will pay their medical bills with new credit cards. However, those cards may carry high interest charges especially if patient has poor credit.

In addition to that, co-pays and deductibles will do nothing but increase regardless of any health care reform implementation. All the more reason to develop sound front end strategies designed to make sure the patients understand their payments precisely and to make sure you make it easy and manageable for patients to pay. Here are three ways to do that:

• Use historical payments, insurance payouts and actual treatment data to develop accurate patient responsibility costs. This will increase your point of service collections and reduce days in accounts receivable.

• Verify patient information accuracy. Compare self-reported patient information with data on various financial information databases. This will help avoid potential claim denial errors and improve the efficiency of your registration process.

• Obtain a financial profile on your patient that can be summarized into meaningful healthcare metrics. This will increase your point-of-service collections and also reduce days in accounts receivable. You can probably receive this information by judicious and efficient use of your current system. You may have to add some modules but the technology is available.

For example, on one healthcare system, you can route patient identity information via a standard HL7 feed from your registration system. The patient financial summary compares the registration data against multiple datasets. The patient's credit report is used to calculate financial estimates. They include the probability of financial aid and collection.

You can also establish thresholds such as the Federal Poverty Level percentage cutoffs. This can be used to see if the patient qualifies for Medicaid.

The system can also generate an accurate estimate of patient costs by using historical expenses, contract modeling and insurance verification transactions.

Tap into your system to see what it can do to assist in creating a powerful front-end strategy. It's may be more robust than you think.

If not, or if you want to go in another direction, consider a web-based system that can provide all the information mentioned above. You can receive real-time access to the financial and demographic status of the patient. Predictive modeling can also be used to determine which accounts are the most collectible.

Establish Upfront Payment Plans

Using all of the information developed by your system, have a talk with the patient as soon as possible. Determine eligibility for charity care, accurate co-pay amounts and deductible ceilings. Be aggressive on upfront collection. But if that isn't possible, establish a pay plan.

For example, a person went to a chiropractor for spinal adjustments. The total charge for multiple treatments was $2,000. They patient couldn't pay for that upfront but want to be relieved of her pain.

The chiropractor established a 6 month payment schedule and took a 10% payment at the point of service. He set up a monthly withdrawal from her account that allowed her to pay over six months even though the treatment would be done after four.

You will need to adapt your medical collection strategy to the health care system changes and adjust to the current economic climate to retain a healthy cash flow.

Prior to the founding of RMK, Ronald McLaughlin was President/CEO-Founder of McMaid Total Home Care, one of the largest providers of home care services in the nation. From 1975 through 1979, he developed and grew the business from a three person enterprise to an organization that operated in five states with more than 3,000 employees. McLaughlin sold the business to Wright Market in 1979.

McLaughlin founded RMK ( http://www.rmk123.com ) in 1980 as a financial management company. With two employees and a few small accounts, he developed the business that has collected and processed more than $100 million in debt collections since its inception.

The business was diversified to focus on medical billing, revenue management, accounts receivable management, collections, subrogation, revenue enhancement reviews, and billing office-staffing analysis in addition to its full collection agency service programs.

Contact Ronald McLaughlin for more information about RMK's medical billing, coding and revenue management services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronald_McLaughlin

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6681369

Pursue A Diploma From Medical Billing Schools

A medical billing and coding assistant or specialist is one of the fastest growing occupations and professions in the healthcare industry. If you are looking for a hot and in demand career nowadays, you should consider taking up a medical billing and coding course. There is an opportunity explosion in this trade with an ever increasing need for medical attention by the baby boomers population. Many insurance companies are aware of this fact thus fuelling the phenomenal demand.

Study and compare the advantages of getting involved in this field and once you are convinced, you can surf the web for your choice of medical billing schools in the United States. One of the country's top billing schools is Everest College which has campuses all over in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Montana, etc. Their programs focus on hands-on-training for short and long term employment and business opportunities.

Their medical insurance billing and coding program's objective is to train students the technical and fundamental skills and tools to do administrative and health information work in analysis, organization, evaluation of insurance health claims and the coding responsibilities of various diseases, surgeries, physical therapies and rehabilitation and other medical protocols related to billing and collection. You will learn to apply basic concepts and procedures, coding definitions and applications to a diversity of medical information. With regards their tuition rates, financing options and job placements, all you have to do is go to their site, click down on the menu and follow instructions. They have many locations and you will be directed to inquire on the campus of your choice.

Another well known and popular campus college is the Brown Mackie College with campuses in Michigan City, IN, Quad Cities IA, Hopskinville, KY and Akron, OH. Their strength is their personal attention and practical skills training. They have day and evening classes to suit your schedule. Each class is good for at least a month and their target is to prepare you for an entry level position as a medical billing personnel. Another top medical billing school is the Arizona College of Allied Health. This college can inspire and encourage you to reach your goals with their exciting hands on and jobs training in your chosen career of medical billing. You can choose any campus.

More campus based institutions are Remington College and Virginia College with campuses in Birmingham, Montgomery. Carrington College has campuses in Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix-Westside, Kaplan College and Sanford-Brown College, both with campuses in Phoenix, Arizona, American College, Empire College, Carrington College, in California and the list goes on and on.

If you find online distance learning more suited and convenient for you, there are more options to consider. You need to spend time visiting the websites of these online schools for comparison. One school is Allen School offering medical degrees on Billing and Coding and a Certificate for Medical Insurance Billing and Coding. Other online schools are Berkeley College and Fortis College offering online Associate Degree in Medical Billing and Coding. You have also Harrison College, Herzing University which offers an online Associate Degree and Diploma. Additional online medical billing schools are Penn Foster Career School and Ultimate Medical Academy.

As a medical billing professional, your knowledge and know how in medical anatomy, terminology, claims processing procedures, and use of the latest coding and billing software will be one your precious assets to lead you to the achievement of your dreams, ambitions and goals for your future.

It does not matter whether you are a young boy or girl who is just about to finish high school in a few months, this is the time for you to take stock of your options. Your investment in basic and specialized training and continuous education is very critical to your credentials. Even if you only have in your possession a GED equivalent, it is alright. As long as you are determined and have the guts, discipline and passion to succeed, you can do it!

My name is Jet Jones and I am an expert in web based medical billing software. Please visit my site at http://www.physician-billingsoftware.com to find a medical billing software that best fit your needs and budget.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jet_Jones

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6699745

3 Tips To Savings With Workers Compensation Premiums

The business environment has faced many challenges over the last couple years. Oil and gas prices seem to be constantly on the rise and it's hard to tell which direction the economy is actually going. Buyers are showing extreme caution in their buying habits and nobody knows when they'll return to pre-recession spending patterns. Businesses are cautious about raising prices, but rising costs must be covered. Many employers are taking a closer look at their costs and many have discovered that they may be overpaying and underinsured on worker's compensation premiums.

Businesses require the protection of workers' compensation insurance, and in many states, like New York it is mandatory. It protects companies in cases where an employee suffers a workplace injury or illness. It not only pays medical costs and compensation to workers, it also provides legal protection for businesses. If a company decides to avoid coverage in a state that legally requires it, they may face multiple fines and penalties which can extend beyond the company. Corporate officers may be liable for injuries if the corporation doesn't carry worker's compensation insurance, or provides inadequate coverage to all their employees.

The rules and regulations around worker's comp is a like a maze. It's easy be improperly classified and over pay for premiums. Paying too much will not result in better coverage, just bigger bills. If you are looking for ways to cut costs, reassessing your premiums may result in a big cost reductions. You have to pay for worker's comp, but you don't have to over pay for coverage.

1. Careful record keeping and expertise may result in significant savings during the audit process. Complete and detailed records can offer a specific breakdown of job duties. If a worker fits into more than one work category, the premium is often lower.

2. Look at different sources for insurance. Insurance can often be purchased through several different channels. The New York State Insurance Fund, 'NYSIF', must offer coverage to all businesses, but often charges higher rates than other publicly traded or mutual insurance companies. Some businesses or business groups can have self-coverage but must be meticulous in following regulations and with record keeping.

3. Assign experts to manage your system. Some employers may feel overwhelmed with the technicalities and complicated systems. If they opt to purchase coverage through agencies like 'NYSIF' and defer to the auditor to assign code categories, they may end up paying much higher premiums. In the" current economic climate, every dollar counts, but time is also short. Businesses are seeking out experts to untangle the worker's comp puzzle and deliver cost savings. Even small businesses with only one or two employees could see significant savings over time.

For a complete list of Code classification rates click the link here New York Workers comp for contractors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Winslow



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6168939

The First Rules In Workman's Comp

Lots of people everyday work at jobs which involve situations in which they could become injured. This is why employers are required to purchase workers compensation insurance. Workman's comp exists in every state within the United States. In most cases the system should involve a worker who is injured or has become ill due to the work environment. Instead of suing the employer they file a claim against their employers workers comp insurance.

Workman's comp is designed to help the worker. It is to help financially fund a worker who has been experienced some time of illness due to the work place. However, it does sometimes produce outcomes that are less than desired by the party injured or ill due to an employer's negligence. The system is complex. It is not an easy or fast process. Many people who file workers compensation claims find it in their bets interest to work with a lawyer that specializes in these issues for help on the claim. Some unions also offer legal support to victims.

There are requirements that must be met by the employee to even be considered able to file a workman's comp claim. The two basic necessities are as follows; the employee must have worked for a company that carried workers compensation insurance. All companies are supposed to have this insurance coverage but not all companies abided by the laws governing society. Also they must have been injured during work or have an injury specific to the job duty.

The most important step the employee can make in the claim against an employer for workman's comp benefits is notifying them immediately that a work place injury has happened. Many workers are afraid to do this obvious step in the process because of bonuses and incentives companies often put on the number of days that a work place has been injury free. However, this is absolutely no reason to let an injury go without being reported on.

Even if an injury is extensive, if an employee fails to report it right away that gives the carrier reason to deny the legitimacy of the claim therefore denying benefits to a deserving employee. It is without a doubt the very first key element in a long and lengthy battle to gain compensation under the laws surrounding workman's comp. It is also important to realize the longer it takes the more flags that will be raised and the carrier will look more thoroughly into the claim thinking it is perhaps fraudulent and without just cause.

Even after a worker has filed a claim with their employer there is still more work to be done to prevent any case they might have against the claim. The next step is to report the accident to the state workers compensation board in which the worker works and lives. This will make sure that all the necessary paperwork has been filled out and obtained to proceed with the claim.

It is important that an employee document the accident for their records also. Keep copies and records of all communication regarding the accident. Employers should also obtain information from the employee. It is important to describe the specific accident, the names of the people that saw it happen; when the accident occurred, under what conditions and where exactly did it occur.

This is just the beginning of a journey involving lots of documentation and paperwork. Most employers don't ever want to get involved in such situations because they are time consuming and expensive. However, even with the best employers who offer work places that are desired it is possible that an injury occur. This is why it is important even for small companies to carry workman's comp insurance.

If you have enjoyed this article from Kevin Germain at CPS please visit www.wutzseifert.com/practice_areas.php today where you will find useful information on workman's comp.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Germain



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6626365

Work-Related Back Pain: How to Pay Your Medical Bills

Suffering an injury is stressful: Will my work suffer? Will my quality of life suffer? When you are hurt on the job, one question should be answered for you: that of how to pay for treatment.

Many workers develop work-related back pain that progresses into a chronic pain condition. A European Union conference was told by the Fit to Work coalition in October of 2011 that more than 25% of the European working population suffers back pain due to the demands of their jobs. Given the fact that many instances of back pain worsen if not addressed, it is important to know how to pay for treatments.

Back pain can be caused by jobs that require repetitive motions, heavy lifting, stress and staying in one position for prolonged period of time. Some of our most important positions leave the people who work them prone to back pain: nursing, construction, firefighting, policing, cleaning, truck driving and office work are professions with high instances of back pain.

In the U.S., workers compensation exists to protect: 1) workers from being left with no money if a job-related health problem limits or destroys their ability to work and 2) employers from being sued by employees hurt on the job. Workers compensation is best known for paying disability benefits to those who can no longer work due to an injury or illness acquired on the job, but these benefits can also go toward medical treatments while you remain at work or take a brief hiatus to facilitate recovery. WorkCover is a similar program based in Australia. Many other countries have socialized medicine to ensure care is received by every citizen.

To receive workers compensation benefits, you must file a claim. Visit your doctor to determine the cause of your injury; if it is work-related and your treatment will require more than simple behavioral changes, you should file a claim. Also inform your doctor before making an appointment that you plan to receive workers compensation benefits, as some doctors do not accept these cases. Many private insurance companies refuse to cover the cost of injuries or illnesses acquired at work, so if workers compensation denies your claim, it will be necessary to seek the help of a lawyer. It is not easy for everyone to receive benefits. Back pain is a very widespread condition with many causes. You can expect some bumps in the road.

If your doctor confirms that your back pain is work-related, your employer may request that you receive a second opinion by a different doctor. Although this may seem like a way for your employer to back out of insuring you, it is still important to go for this second assessment, since benefits can be denied if you refuse.

Exact workers compensation regulations vary by state, but generally, benefits do not apply to alternative or experimental treatments. Massage, chiropractic and physical therapy sessions may be granted, but with a limit on the number of sessions covered. If a doctor informs the claims representative that more treatments are needed, he or she may grant them.

Prompt back pain treatment greatly increases your chance of recovery. Since back conditions can develop slowly, the pain may go unnoticed before the damage has escalated to a point of serious pain. Pay attention to your pain from the start, and keep track of the duration and severity of symptoms. Any back pain that persists longer than 2 days is not caused by simple muscle strain and demands your full attention.

If your job is causing your pain, work with your doctor and employer to identify behavioral changes that may help. If diagnostic imaging, chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy or repeated doctor's visits are required, workers compensation should be footing the bill. Don't be fooled into thinking you can't afford to take care of yourself. For information on workers compensation laws by state, see http://www.workerscompensation.com/workers_comp_by_state.php.

Education in back pain is the cheapest form of self preservation. Learn about what causes back pain and 4 other things that cause sciatic nerve pain.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Burton



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6647755

Retrospective Rating Plans As an Alternative Risk Management Technique

These plans are typically used for Worker's Compensation insurance policies. There are prospective rating plans also. Retrospective rating plans adjust the final premiums at the end of the policy year based on the current loss experience during the current policy year. Whereas prospective rating plans do not adjust the policy premiums based on current or past losses. These plans are usually described as guaranteed cost plans.

The basic formula for a retrospective premium plan is the "basic premium plus the incurred losses". There is a little bit more math to the incurred losses and how that number is determined. Insurance carriers take the incurred losses times a loss conversion factor that they use internally times a tax multiplier.

Incurred losses are actual losses sustained plus the anticipated losses to be paid.

The tax multiplier is easy enough to ascertain as that is just incorporating the state premium taxes, fees or any other assessment that the regulators impose upon the insurance carrier. Usually that is set on an annual basis and does not fluctuate much.

The loss conversion factor, for lack of a better term is simply a fudge factor for the insurance company. Most workers compensation claims tend to grow and expand the longer the claim is open and not closed. Therefore for all open claims the insurance carrier multiplies this loss conversion factor times the incurred losses. The conversion factors vary greatly amongst insurance companies because all carriers have different inherent overhead cost structures. Many times on larger accounts the rating structure is pretty close for the competing carriers and it might come down to the loss conversion factors of each insurance carrier in determining which plan with which carrier is the most competitive. Most loss conversion factors are between 1.10 and 1.25 as a multiplier of the incurred losses.
Retrospective rating plans can offer many advantages for the insured but it can also have some disadvantages. One of the major advantages is that you can see premium reductions immediately based upon current losses. Businesses that have good loss experience and very predictable claims usually will come out on the positive side of this equation with a retrospective rating plan. Even if a business has had a catastrophic shock loss in the past this type a plan can be financially beneficial for that business's current situation of low claims or minimal losses. This rating plan is a two edge-sword in that if the claims and losses turned sour during the policy year, the insured will have to come up with the funds for the increased premiums immediately due to increase claims after the policy renews in 12 months. As a business owner, doing the math and crunching the numbers will determine whether this strategy, for primarily workers compensation premiums, is advantageous for your company.

R. Glenn Matsen, CEO, MBA, CPCU, ARM, CLU, ChFC has over 32 years of risk management experience in providing insurance solutions for the small business owners needs. His website contains detailed information on Small Business Insurance and Small Business Insurance Quotes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Glenn_Matsen



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6666609

Choosing the Best Workers to Avoid Workers' Compensation Claims

The New Hire Trap

It's tough out there. We all know it. And desperate times lead to desperate measures for some. Resume padding has always existed but, as the current job crisis continues there's been an uptick in, shall we say, people putting themselves in the best light.

Since our business is helping your business keep your Workers' Compensation costs low here are few tips designed to help you make sure that your hire is a good one and how to ferret out potential employees who are actually serial workers' compensation claimants, malingerers or have prior industrial injuries that can end up affecting your bottom line and X-Mod.

Use anintegrity test.

This is one of the more effective tools for identifying job applicants who may be likely to file workers' comp claims. Despite their $8 to $14 upfront cost tests such as the one developed by American Tescor is a great way to identify and remove potential workers who are prone to Workers' Compensation fraud.

Avoid "medical baggage."

You should try to give every applicant who has been given a job offer a pre-employment physical before being approved for hire. Many job applicants have been out of work for a long time during this economic downturn. When they are finally back to work, either in a position requiring physical labor or a sedentary one, which can lead to back and neck pain and repetitive injuries, they are often out of condition and can be prime candidates for workplace injuries.

Background checks.

You should consider a thorough background check by a private investigation firm, particularly for employees who will be driving their own or company vehicles. If they have a record of past traffic violations and DUIs, this can spell trouble. A background check can also reveal if a candidate has misrepresented their workers' compensation history or medical condition. This can uncover a history of false claims or demonstrate that the applicant is a safety risk based on medical opinion.

Drug testing.

This is not just a matter of identifying illegal drug use, but a test may indicate that an applicant is taking one or more prescriptions for a previous job-related injury. That's information that would never be known on a job application. Employers need to comply with state and federal laws when undertaking drug screenings.

A card,
A well timed phone call of concern,
A pot of soup,
Some flowers or candy,
Basically any gesture or series of gestures that tell your worker that they are more than just some faceless employee is a great way to build morale and get them wanting to return to work as soon as they are able.

It's both the right thing to do and, as it turns out, it will reduce the claim and save you money.

At Leader's Choice Insurance, we want to help you lower your workers' compensation policy rates as low as possible. Making your employees feel emotionally happy as well as physically safe is always our goal. Learn more by subscribing to our blog, asking us specific questions or just initiate your conversation by clicking the button below and getting a quick and accurate workers' compensation quote by one of our professionally trained staff.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M_Steven_Bloom



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6651821

The History and Current Advantages of Workers Compensation

In the past, employers were regarded as responsible for compensating workers that were injured in their work environment. This process was a time consuming one, and it would often cost employees and employers a lot of money; often resulting in unhappy employees and employers. Over time, the government decided to make this insurance a legal requirement, and employees and employers were required to contribute to the fund to ensure that, in the event that an injury occurred or an illness was contracted, the employee could be compensated without being forced to claim from his or her employer.

Paying off Medical Expenses

Medical expenses can quickly add up, and if you are injured or contract an illness at work, you will lose out on your salary, as well as be forced to pay medical expenses to get back on your feet. Some injuries are so severe that they might leave you disabled, and this means you might not be able to return to work at all. Without insurance, you might find yourself in a lot of debt very quickly, and this trap is difficult to escape when you are unable to earn an income. Workers compensation will cover all of your medical expenses and pay you a certain percentage of your salary so that you do not have to go without due to an injury or illness.

Compensation for Time Lost at Work

When you are not working, you are not getting paid. Injuries and illnesses might force you to take leave to recover, and this could cause havoc on your finances. With workers compensation, you will be compensated for time lost at work, and this means you can take the time you need to recover without worrying about the unpaid bills piling up.

Temporary or Permanent Disability Insurance

It does not matter whether your injuries are permanent or temporary, you will be able to claim workers compensation, and this is extremely helpful, especially if you work in hazardous conditions where injury is a constant threat. An injury does not have to mean the end of a sound financial future, as long as you have insurance to cover you, and since this is now a legal requirement, your employer should make sure that you are covered from the moment you start work.

It is important to read up on and understand what workers compensation covers and what the limitations are so that you can continue working with peace of mind, knowing you are covered in the event that the worst should happen. Knowledge is power, and you can obtain this information from official and nonofficial sources; it does not matter where you get it as long as you have it!

Are you wanting more information about Workers Compensation, What It Is or Workers Compensation in general? Get free advice and information from this great new website, http://www.yourrighttocompensation.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_F_Shaw



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6673436

Insurance For Early Retirees

When a person completely stops employment that situation is referred to as retirement. Retirement usually takes at a certain age usually at the age of 58 yrs. However sometimes, a person due any reason may retire before the age of 58-64 yrs; this is commonly known as early retirement. One can retire early due to total disability, due to mental health, due to a criminal offence etc. While working for a company an employee gets benefits such as group health insurance, group auto insurance etc.

Once a person retires early, he is no longer eligible for group insurance policies, has to take individual policies. However the premiums of individual policies cost more

Finding group coverage: Once you have retired for any reason the first thing that you can check is the group health insurance policy of your spouse and see if you are covered by that policy. Other option is to find a trade group which offers a cheaper alternative to an individual health insurance policy.

If you aspire to the lifestyle of a "perpetual student", you may be able to get low-cost comprehensive health insurance from a college or university. At some institutions, taking as little as one or two courses per semester is enough to show "progress" towards a degree and keep your health coverage in force. Paying in-state tuition at a community or state college is a small price to pay for access to this benefit if you are shut out of other avenues.

Individual health policies Individual health insurance policies are among the most complicated insurance products out there. They are difficult to shop for and hard to evaluate once you do find one. Your employer probably had a staff of experts handling the search for health insurance when you were working. This task falls on you since you're retired.

The Internet is a convenient place to start your search. You should also contact an insurance agent in your area that specializes in individual life and health policies. If you have any pre-existing conditions, your agent may know which companies offer the most favorable rates to individuals with your health history.

Travel insurance: If you plan to spend a lot of time traveling in foreign countries, vacation or "travel" health insurance may be a palatable option. These policies have all kinds of exclusions and may not cover a dreaded "preexisting condition", but they are generally inexpensive. A diligent shopper may find a bargain here.

Save Up to 60% on Personal insurance Policy

Personal Insurance Quotes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pooja_Chauhan



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6673785