Healthcare from the Government – Your Biggest Payer, Part 2

Healthcare from the Government – Your Biggest Payer, Part 2

Medicare is the biggest government payer practitioners will deal with, but it’s by no means the only one. Government-operated health insurance encompasses many other programs and in this second of a two-part series, Nitin Chhoda addresses other government-sponsored insurance plans.

healthcareHealthcare insurance programs operated by the government provide coverage for veterans, low-income adults and injured workers.

Managed by the federal government, some programs are administered at the state level.

All have very specific regulations and can require pre-authorizations, referrals, and proof of medical necessity before they approve reimbursements.

Medicaid

Next to Medicare, Medicaid is one of the best known healthcare insurance programs in the U.S. Designed to provide the poor and low-income individuals with basic health services, it’s administered at the local level. Each state has considerable leeway in the manner in which it administers the program, determines individual eligibility, and what services are provided.

Funding cuts to Medicaid at the federal level has resulted in many states limiting coverage to the most basic levels for adults. The program also provides limited  healthcare coverage for those who require nursing home care. Children in the program receive dental and vision services, along with healthcare. Medicaid patients are entitled to surgical procedures, inpatient hospital treatment, and prenatal care.

It’s extremely difficult to verify a patient’s Medicaid eligibility, what portion of the bill the client may be responsible for, and what services are covered until the actual reimbursement claim is submitted. Medicaid maintains a stringent fee schedule, regardless of actual costs.

Tricare

Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Tricare is the healthcare plan that serves active military personnel and their dependents. Tricare encompasses three levels of care – Standard, Prime and Life. Tricare Standard is for active duty, retired and reserve retirees, and their family members. It operates similar to a PPO. Recipients are required to pay a deductible and copay, but can see any civilian healthcare provider.

Tricare Prime resembles an HMO and serves the same segment of the military as the Standard. Patients have more restrictions and must only utilize network providers. Tricare for Life is a supplement plan for former Tricare members that are eligible for Medicare. The plan pays according to a fee schedule similar to Medicare.

CHAMPUS VA

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) serves VA patients and those not eligible for Tricare, along with spouses and dependents of military personnel who were disabled in the line of duty. Surviving spouses and dependents of veterans killed due to military-related injuries are also eligible.

CHAMPUS healthcare plans are usually secondary payers. When it’s the primary payer, the plan functions much like an HMO. It’s imperative that coverage is verified prior to the client’s visit to ascertain if a referral or pre-authorization is required before treatment is provided.

Workers’ Compensation

Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Workers’ Compensation is available for workers injured while on the job or who develop an occupation-related disease. Practitioners must enroll in the healthcare program and obtain a DOL number.

Workers’ Comp claims always require pre-authorization, but that doesn’t guarantee payment for services.

Before treating a client, verify pertinent information about the disease or injury with the employer. A diagnosis code must be approved by the Workers’ Comp carrier and the medical provider must prove medical necessity.

healthcare programClinicians should obtain a pre-authorization for every procedure. Workers’ Compensation claims are paid according to a healthcare pre-determined fee schedule, and funds deposited through electronic fund transfer.

Patients covered by government-operated healthcare programs can add significantly to the revenues of any practice, but clinicians should exercise caution especially with their medical billing and make sure to verify every aspect of the client’s coverage prior to treatment.

Government healthcare plans have numerous rules, regulations and filing requirements and if they’re not followed to the letter, reimbursements won’t be forthcoming.

Medical Payer : Who Is It and Who Has the Money? Part 2

Medical Payer : Who Is It and Who Has the Money? Part 2

Most patients have a commercial healthcare insurance plan that pays a portion of the cost should they become ill or require medical attention.

Commercial plans account for the bulk of a practitioner’s reimbursements, but an extensive array of government operated insurance plans are available that offer an added source of revenue.

Nitin Chhoda wraps up his two-part series on medical payers with a look at government-funded healthcare insurance.

medicalThe federal government sponsors an array of healthcare insurance medical programs for military personnel and their dependents, the elderly and disabled, low-income individuals, and employees that are injured at work.

Originating at the federal level, some programs are administered by individual states or through regional contractors.

Medicare
The largest government operated insurance plan is Medicare, serving the disabled and those 65 or older. It’s essential for practitioner to verify a patient’s Medicare coverage.  Medicare is confusing to medical clients and many mistakenly believe they’re enrolled for services when they’re not.

Medicare prefers to pay providers via electronic fund transfer and most claims are paid without problem when submitted correctly. Use electronic medical record technology whenever possible to facilitate the payment process. Medicare is comprised of four components.
•    Part A – Pays for home healthcare, hospice, in-patient hospital stays and skilled nursing facilities.
•    Part B – is optional and pays for medically necessary services.
•    Part C – is a replacement plan for employer-based policies that allows individuals to enroll in a private healthcare plan if they desire.
•    Part D – covers prescriptions.

Medicaid
For low-income individuals and some Medicare recipients, Medicaid assists by paying all or a portion of their medical bills. The program follows federal regulations, but may be administered by private healthcare companies. Practitioners may find it difficult to verify a patient’s eligibility status and Medicaid maintains a fee schedule that’s not negotiable.

Tricare
Funded by the Department of Defense, Tricare is used by active military personnel and their dependents. Coverage is separated into three parts to address the different healthcare needs of the individual.

The medical plan pays a set amount and practitioners are expected to accept that amount as full payment, without billing patients for the difference.

•    Tricare Standard – is used by active, reserve and retired military personnel, and eligible family members.
•    Tricare Prime – serves the same individuals as Tricare Standard, but requires members to seek treatment from network providers only.
•    Tricare for Life – is a supplement for former Tricare members who are eligible for Medicare.

CHAMPUS VA
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services provide coverage for VA patients who don’t qualify for Tricare, along with spouses and children of veterans disabled or killed in the line of duty. CHAMPUS works much like an HMO, and requires referrals and prior authorizations.

Workers’ Compensation
Employees who have been injured or disabled on the job, or acquired an occupation-related disease, are eligible for Workers’ Compensation. Providers must enroll and be assigned a Department of Labor number. Medical services must be medically necessary and receive prior authorization. Clinicians of healthcare practice management must ensure all procedures are reported and have a verified diagnosis code from Workers’ Compensation.

Medical records must be included with the reimbursement claim and practitioners must provide regular follow ups. Even then, clinicians aren’t guaranteed payment, which is distributed according to a pre-determined fee schedule.

medical payersPayments are made via electronic fund transfer. Workers’ Comp claims are submitted to one of three divisions – Federal Employees’ Compensation, Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation and Division of Energy Employees.

Government-funded healthcare plans offer practitioners additional source of revenues, but claims must adhere to the strict standards set forth for each program. Filing a medical claim can be a time consuming process, but can be facilitated through the use of an EMR to ensure accuracy and timely reimbursements.

Insurance Benefits and the Law: How Clinicians Deal with It?

Insurance Benefits and the Law: How Clinicians Deal with It?

Nitin Chhoda discusses how clinicians can handle the insurance benefits of their employees without jeopardizing the business revenue and have a win-win situation for both staff and private practice business.

insurance benefits and policyAs a clinic owner and employer, medical practitioners including that of physical therapy management offices, are subject to the same tenants of the Affordable Health Care Act as the owner of a production plant when it comes to offering their staff insurance benefits options.

Businesses that don’t offer healthcare insurance benefits face stiff fines, but an increasing number of employers in all industries are choosing to pay the penalty as an easy means of managing costs.

The downside to that method is that clinics run the risk of losing the best and brightest staff to practices that offer insurance benefits, no matter how meager.

In an effort to retain staff and comply with the law, many employers are experimenting with a variety of options, from changes in coverage to quirky new insurance benefits plans.

Abbreviated Policies Don’t Make the Grade

These no-frill plans offer very limited benefits and provide reduced rates on the most basic of medical services. With the increasing costs of premiums, deductibles and co-pays, many employees will deem the cost and coverage acceptable, when compared to no coverage at all. Clinicians should be aware that these aren’t considered full insurance benefits plans and don’t meet the government mandated criteria.

Benefits for Employees Doesn’t Have To Include Spouses

While employers are required to provide insurance benefits for full-time employees and dependent children under the age of 26, nothing in the Act ensures coverage for spouses. Clinicians who have traditionally offered healthcare policies that include the employee’s family members are opting to eliminate coverage for spouses.

The assumption is that the spouse is working and will obtain their own insurance benefits and health coverage through their employer.

It’s a solution that allows clinic owners to provide required coverage and save money.

What Does “Affordable” Really Mean?

One of the primary tenants of the Affordable Health Care Act that’s causing confusion for all is the term “affordable”. The Internal Revenue Service proposed rules to take effect in 2014 that indicate an employer-sponsored plan is affordable if it doesn’t exceed 9.5 percent of the individual’s household income.

That definition offers employers some parameters with which to work when configuring insurance benefits packages. It also opens the door for a variety of staff retention problems as talented professionals seek positions that specifically combine higher wages with better benefits.

The word affordable is misleading. The Act mandates coverage, but doesn’t say employers must make it affordable.insurance benefits

Affordable healthcare coverage should be within the grasp of everyone, but providing those insurance benefits can represent a hardship to smaller practices.

Practitioners are forced to run a gauntlet of penalties, less profitability and loss of experienced staff for lack of insurance benefits.

They’re all factors that each medical professional will have to weigh carefully as they will impact clinics and quality of care for years to come. ll have to weigh carefully as they will impact clinics and quality of care for years to come.

The Four Ds of Negligence

The Four Ds of Negligence

Nitin Chhoda shares the four Ds of negligence in a private practice setting so that clinicians can prevent negligence from occurring in the business.

negligenceThe medical profession is a rewarding one, but full of opportunities to inadvertently run afoul of rules and regulations. Most patients are sincere.

They simply want to get better or see an end to their pain, but there exists a pool of unscrupulous clients who are vigilant in their search for a reason to sue a medical provider for a breach in one of the four Ds of negligence.

The four Ds encompass duty, dereliction, direct cause and damage. The majority of healthcare practice management providers won’t experience the harm to their reputation, clientele and clinic that result from a lawsuit, but medical professionals should be aware that they can be held liable vicariously through the actions of their staff.

To avoid the four Ds of negligence, it’s essential that everyone is conversant in the proper procedures. To be guilty of negligence, a disgruntled patient must prove that the practitioner took action, or failed to, that was ultimately detrimental to the client.

Clinicians should be wary of patients that come into the office requesting specific medications, tests and treatments.

1. Where Duty Begins and Ends

The first of the four Ds refers to duty. Clinicians have a duty to their patients to provide the most accurate diagnosis and care, utilizing their extensive education and experience. Healthcare workers have a duty to inform patients of potential problems they observe upon examination in the clinical setting. They’re under no obligation to provide medical information about any condition they notice in connection with strangers and casual acquaintances, which is a part of negligence.

2. Dereliction of Duty

Dereliction is the second of the four Ds of negligence and refers to actions that a healthcare provider may fail to take. If a medical professional observes a skin condition that could be cancer but neglects to inform the client, it’s a breach of duty.

3. Making a Bad Situation Worse – the Direct Cause

Direct cause is the third element of the four Ds. In this type of negligence, the onus is on the client to prove that the healthcare provider knew about a potential risk, didn’t inform the patient, and the client was injured as a result.

4. Collecting Damages from Clinicians

Rounding out the four Ds of negligence is damages patients can collect in a lawsuit. Damages are the financial compensation clients can collect and includes lost wages, medical expenses and mental duress.

Vicarious and Collateral Liability

Practice owners can be held liable for staff members who make mistakes, don’t follow proper procedures or overstep the boundaries of their responsibilities.

negligence of practice

That includes defamation of character, slander and making libelous statements. It also encompasses invasion of privacy, sharing records without informed consent, violating patient care standards, and malfeasance.

Medical practitioners must work within established laws and parameters when treating patients and ensure staff members are cognizant of what constitutes a breach of the four Ds of negligence.

Staff must be trained in potentially litigious situations for themselves, the practice and the consequences. Education, an understanding of procedures and identifying clients that may come equipped with a lawsuit mentality will help anyone in the medical profession avoid the four Ds.

Healthcare Insurance Simplified – the Patient’s Perspective of Health Coverage in the New Economy

Healthcare Insurance Simplified – the Patient’s Perspective of Health Coverage in the New Economy

Although healthcare insurance can be useful in the case of illness, many people do not understand their insurance coverage and limitations.

Nitin Chhoda shares the different perspective of healthcare insurance; from that patient’s point of view to the healthcare service provider.

healthcare insurancePatients and therapists view healthcare insurance from an entirely different perspective.

For patients, it’s a way to defray costs when they require a wide range of services, from prescriptions and hospitalization to well patient check-ups and ongoing physical therapy treatments.

For therapists and healthcare practice management providers, healthcare insurance is the primary means of reimbursement for services.

Healthcare Insurance

Older clients, parents and those who have experienced the need for an extended hospital stay are well acquainted with the value of maintaining a comprehensive healthcare insurance policy. They may complain about the cost of premiums, copays and deductibles, but they know the benefits far outweigh the monetary sacrifices they may make to keep their coverage up to date.

Younger individuals tend to eschew healthcare coverage or purchase less than they need. For this demographic, accidents and healthcare emergencies are incidents that happen to “other” people.

healthcare insurance simplifiedThe entire healthcare insurance industry is a mystery to most patients. They’re unsure of exactly what they’re paying for, the terms of their coverage and their financial responsibility.

Healthcare insurance is often far more expensive than they anticipate, may not cover a wide variety of treatments and procedures, and involve high deductibles that must be met before coverage is available.

A Patient’s Perspective

Millions of individuals across the nation live in constant fear of becoming ill, injured or incapacitated, even when they have insurance. When they do become ill, it may be difficult to find a healthcare insurance provider that accepts their brand of insurance.

Patients often delay treatment, spreading potentially dangerous diseases. When no other option exists, those same clients resort to emergency room treatment that contributes largely to the increasing cost of healthcare costs.

As it exists, the healthcare industry in the U.S. forces patients to make decisions that can radically influence their lives and future finances.

The Affordable Care Act provided coverage to millions who were uninsured or underinsured, but it also created a deficit of healthcare insurance providers in relation to the number of new patients coming into the system.

Those who don’t understand their coverage represent a major loss of income for therapists. When claims for non-covered expenses are rejected, patients must pay the bill and collecting those funds can be a costly endeavor.

The first steps in healthcare reform have been taken, but more must be accomplished. The future of healthcare insurance in the new economy will require patients to pay more for their healthcare coverage and shoulder more of the financial burden in terms of co-pays and deductibles.

Coverage and Limitations

Coverage caps and limitations could very well become the norm. For therapists, the result of such trends is a loss of income and a potential move toward more self-pay patients, a strategy that could effectively eliminate many from the healthcare system and cost practices in the long-term.

The experience and expertise of a good therapist can’t be understated and they deserve to be compensated for that acumen. Therapists are the chief advocates for their patients’ needs, but are often forced by healthcare insurance companies to accept far less for their services than the actual value or are second-guessed by insurance company officials.

It’s neither an efficient or cost effective system, and one that can potentially place patients in harm’s way while contributing to a system that makes it increasingly difficult for therapists to operate a financially sound practice.

Healthcare Insurance and Health Insurance – What Are They?

Healthcare Insurance and Health Insurance – What Are They?

Nitin Chhoda explains the health care insurance, its providers, the Insurance coverages and the Affordable Care Act for patients.

He also discusses the importance of knowing the limitations of patients’ insurance so that patients and service providers know what to expect at the time of treatment.

healthcareHealthcare practice management costs that continue to rise and unforeseen medical emergencies are the two overriding reasons individuals buy healthcare insurance.

Essentially, patients purchase insurance against the risk of becoming ill or encountering a potentially expensive and unforeseen medical need.

Accidents and catastrophic medical emergencies happen in the blink of an eye. Healthcare insurance helps defray patient costs and insures healthcare providers receive payment for their services.

Insurance Provider

Patient healthcare insurance is most often provided through an individual’s employer. Business owners contract with insurance companies to provide an established range of healthcare services that can include hospitalization, vision and dental coverage, along with office visits, prescriptions and lab tests.

Available coverage varies widely, with employers shouldering a major portion of the costs while the individual is responsible for co-pays, deductibles and monthly premiums. Medicaid and Medicare represent another form of healthcare insurance. Medicare is administered through the federal government.

Medicaid is funded through federal and state governments and distributed at the discretion of each state. Medicare is accessible by retirees and the disabled. Medicaid typically covers low-income children and adults with no other available options.

Insurance Coverages

Dwindling funds and budgetary concerns have led to coverage limits in both Medicaid and Medicare, making it essential for therapists to verify a patient’s coverage before treatment.

There’s been a push by healthcare insurance providers and employers for patients to shoulder more of the monetary burden of their healthcare, giving rise to a wide variety of special clauses and exclusions in healthcare policies.

Cancer, long-term healthcare needs and disability claims are costly for insurance providers and many policies now require clients to purchase additional, specific coverage for certain conditions. The result of shifts in healthcare insurance policies and practices has resulted in a lack of sufficient coverage for much of the population.

Underinsured clients and those with no coverage present a major problem for therapists who must balance the desire to practice their profession and render aid to those in need, with operating a practice that remains solvent and profitable. The first line of collections when a patient receives treatment is the healthcare provider.

To ensure reimbursements are received in a timely manner, practitioners submit claims to the patient’s insurance provider.

Any amount not covered through the client’s healthcare plan is the responsibility of the patient. It’s essential for therapists to determine a client’s coverage before the time of treatment to ensure the patient receives necessary services and clinicians obtain the payment to which they’re entitled.

The Affordable Care Act

healthcare and health insuranceThe Affordable Care Act extended medical coverage to millions of individuals who previously had no insurance, but significant limitations and gaps in available services still exist.

Clinicians must ensure they have current insurance information for every client they treat before the patient arrives at the office.

It’s an unfortunate reality, but the direction of current insurance company policies may force therapists to decline patients with limited or no coverage to ensure their practice isn’t at financial risk.

Insurance companies represent the first line of reimbursements for clinics, followed by state and government programs, and self-pay patients. Changing and evolving healthcare insurance will require practice owners to examine the state of their businesses and the patients they treat with an increasingly stringent set of criteria.