Physical Therapy Documentation & Medical Billing INTOUCHEMR

How to Streamline Eligibility Verification

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 23, 2014 | Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Management, Physical Therapy Marketing, Physical Therapy Software

The typical practice spends anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours on patient insurance verification. With the modern technology and built-in abilities of In Touch EMR™,it’s no longer necessary to spend hours on the phone each week verifying eligibility, or manually entering the information into client charts. It can be completed online in just a few moments with hundreds of payers across the nation.

Manual Vs. Online

In Touch EMR™ provides billers with the ability to verify insurance coverage online with the click of a button. Verification is automatic and the information goes directly to the client’s chart, which can also be created automatically with In Touch EMR™. The savings in time allows staff to concentrate on marketing and others tasks within the practice with no need to enter data manually.

Online verification of eligibility has the added benefit of virtually eliminating claim questions and denials. Patient eligibility is obtained directly from the payer, ensuring the information is accurate and current.

Hundreds Of Payers

The EMR software includes hundreds of payers and clearinghouses, and new payers can be added as needed. Unfortunately, not all payers have the level of sophistication to provide online verification for specialties such as physical therapy. In those instances, the front desk will still need to make a phone call to verify eligibility, but In Touch EMR™ provides that online ability for payers with the software and sophistication to do so.

Marketing With In Touch EMR™

The automatic and online functionalities of In Touch EMR™ free front desk staff to perform marketing tasks. The software provides clinicians with a comprehensive array of tools to maintain contact with established patients and obtain new clients. Sophisticated reports can be generated to determine which marketing efforts need to be improved and which are performing best.

In Touch EMR™ contains the ability to communicate with patients via multiple methods to send cards, leave messages and deliver newsletters electronically. The software enables practices to communicate by phone, through mail and email, and voice and text messages.

The In Touch EMR™ provides practitioners with the tools to streamline eligibility verification. Eligibility is obtained online from hundreds of payers throughout the U.S. The workflow is more efficient and staff members are more productive.

The software offers automatic functionalities for scheduling, documentation, verification, claim submission and marketing in a single, integrated package.

How to Solve the Problem of Patient Payments

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 21, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Healthcare Practice Management, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation

Patients are usually the last to pay their part of the bill for services they received. To encourage patients to pay their bill, practitioners must make it as easy as possible for them to do so. That means implementing a variety of online payment options. Practices that offer that service are more likely to collect from clients without the need for multiple billings and reminders.

Multiple Payment Methods

In Touch EMR™ allows patients to pay with multiple methods that include cash, check, money orders, and credit and debit cards. Older clients are less trusting of technology and are less likely to utilize payment methods that require them to divulge personal information online, or they may not have access to a computer. For those patients, checks and cash are typically the preferred method of payment.

The In Touch EMR™ is the most sophisticated system in the world, providing a convenient way to pay that’s available to clients 24/7. It’s safe, secure and boosts revenues. The company assists therapists in setting up a merchant account that enables payments to be deposited directly into the clinic’s account, usually in as little as seven days.

Recurring Payments

With the In Touch EMR™, patients also have the ability to make recurring payments. When faced with a large bill, many clients panic and don’t pay anything instead of making smaller but steady payments. In Touch EMR™ solves that problem. Client amounts are broken down into convenient and manageable payments that they can make over time. Clinicians can offer discounts for cash payments and balances paid within a specific amount of time to encourage remittance.

Convenience, security And Eco-Friendly

There’s no need to store sensitive data on-site with In Touch EMR™. The software maintains data in the cloud for added security. The software is HIPAA compliant and adheres to the protocols set forth by the Payment Card Industry Data Standard. The cost of collections is significantly reduced and billers can focus more on claim submissions.

The integrated software is an environmentally friendly method that virtually eliminates paper bills and statements. There may be times when a paper document is required and In Touch EMR™ provides the ability to print one when necessary. When an online payment is made, the data goes to the biller for posting.

Convenience for clients is an essential concept for clinicians that want to increase revenue collection. Online options utilize methods with which most patients are familiar. Practices with online payment options are perceived as more progressive and desirable. An added benefit of offering online payment options is that patients are more likely to recommend the practitioner to others, providing valuable word-of-mouth marketing.

Make Life Easy for Your Biller

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 19, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Healthcare Practice Management, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

Next to the clinician, the biller is the most important person in the practice. The biller is the individual that ensures claims are correct, submits them, and monitors each reimbursement request to ensure the physical therapist gets paid. The In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO make the biller’s job easier, thereby increasing productivity and revenues.

Simple Solutions

Billers need billing software that’s simple, efficient and super powerful. Those three attributes are contained within the In Touch Biller PRO software. The most time consuming task for a biller is manually entering information from paper documentation. That’s a task that should be avoided at all costs. In Touch Biller PRO works with multiple operating systems, allowing billers to work with the system they’re most familiar with, whether it’s a PC, Mac, iPad or Android.

The integrated In Touch Biller PRO can be used in conjunction with In Touch EMR™ and other software to send claims directly to the billing system. The software allows billers to access one-touch functionalities to scrub, edit and submit claims.

In Touch Biller PRO software is compatible with hundreds of payer and clearinghouse systems through the United States. Built in crosswalks assist billers with the ICD-9 to ICD-10 changeover.

Automatic Functions

When ERAs are returned for the biller’s attention, he/she can post patient statements to the client’s file with a touch of a button. Billers can utilize multiple methods to communicate with patients about their portion of the bill, send reminders about outstanding balances, and print paper copies if needed. With In Touch Biller PRO, the patient billing process is accomplished quickly and efficiently with no need for hours spent entering data by hand. Claims can be transmitted individually or as a batch.

Billers are highly skilled professionals, second only to clinicians in their importance to the practice. Billers keep the flow of revenues coming in and anything practitioners can do to make their biller’s job easier will pay dividends well into the future.

In Touch Biller PRO provides one-touch abilities and automatic functions that eliminate manually entering information. Billers are more efficient and practices attain better cash flow.

Outline of a Simple, Efficient Workflow

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 17, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

Efficiency is the key for every facet of a practice’s workflow. EMR and billing software should be integrated, offer one-touch functionalities and complete many tasks automatically. Technology can make a practice infinitely more efficient and thereby more profitable. It makes the biller’s job easier, allowing income to be generated more quickly. From one-touch functionality to voice recognition documentation, In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO software is specifically designed for efficiency and better profitability.

Bring In The Patient

In Touch EMR™ has the ability to schedule patients, communicate with them through multiple methods, and create automatic patient files. When the client arrives for their appointment, In Touch EMR™ has the built in ability to quickly validate patient insurance eligibility online with hundreds of payers, and more can be added as needed.

The In Touch EMR™ is the only EMR with an iPad app. Patients can take a photo of themselves for identification purposes, photograph their insurance card and complete patient data with the iPad. The Web-based system maintains information in the cloud for security and HIPAA compliance. When the required information is obtained, the front desk can hit a single button to automatically create a patient file. The client is now in the system and the file is available to the clinician.

Claiming Revenues

The integrated In Touch EMR™ works with In Touch Biller PRO to create a simple, yet efficient workflow. In Touch Biller PRO scrubs claims and allows for changes to be made when needed. It identifies potential problems and prompts billers for modifiers and other data to ensure each claim is clean for submission. The system enables billers to review all claims, no matter what their status

Reporting Statistics

Sophisticated reports can be generated with In Touch EMR™ to keep clinicians advised of the most profitable procedures and payers, where most referrals are originating, and the most productive staff members. Reports can be generated based on a comprehensive array of user defined parameters to monitor every facet of the practice.

Clinicians can utilize features that include the advanced flow sheet, voice recognition for documentation, automatic creation of patient files and automatic claim submission. The In Touch EMR™ is designed to create and enhance an efficient workflow that allows practices to become more profitable, while making it easier for clinicians to do their job.

In an era of dwindling reimbursements and increased regulatory requirements, clinicians must use every resource at their disposal to make their office efficient and profitable. In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO work in tandem to accomplish those goals with technology designed for the way clinicians work.

The Importance of Flexibility in Your Documentation

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 15, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Healthcare Practice Management, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

There’s a big problem with most EMR software providers and the templates they typically include. The documents are often created with a one-size-fits-all approach, include far more detail than the average physical therapist will ever need, and they don’t allow practitioners to document their work in their own way. These templates turn therapists into data entry experts rather than clinicians.

Too Much Information

Each practice is different. Every clinician must have the ability to create their own templates to match their workflow and office processes. Most EMR software templates force practitioners to conform to the way the template is designed. In Touch EMR™ allows each user to create and customize documents to reflect the practice and its services.

The clinician is the most important person in a physical therapy practice. He/she is what drives the money that supports the practice, allowing the bills to get paid and the clinic to make a profit. Therapists have to treat patients to support the clinic. In an effort to be efficient and comprehensive, most EMR templates take excessive time to complete, don’t enhance the workflow and don’t consider the individual needs of the practice.

Be Creative

With the In Touch EMR™, clinicians can create their own templates from scratch, providing them with greater flexibility in their documentation needs. The ability to create customized templates ensures that clinicians remain compliant. The goal of documentation should be to minimize the time needed entering information, while providing enough data to support the diagnosis and treatment.

The advantage of custom templates is that if the clinician is audited, he/she is able to go directly to the documentation data to support their actions. Custom templates ensure that the data is very precise. Templates are easily integrated into the workflow for greater efficiency at all levels of the practice.

There’s No Perfect Documentation

In Touch EMR™ provides the tools for clinicians to focus on their practice and patients. Therapists need an integrated workflow instead of focusing on the best form. The “perfect” documentation form is never going to be seen. The majority of EMR templates attempt to achieve that goal, but only succeed in creating more work for clinicians.

The goal of documentation for every therapist should be threefold. It should be simple, minimal, yet provide enough information to support their actions. Anything else is overkill and turns clinicians into data entry experts instead of the highly trained and skilled professionals they are.

Time Management for Private Practice Owners

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Mar 13, 2014 | Healthcare Practice Management, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Management, Physical Therapy Marketing

Time management is essential for practices, yet many clinicians and practice owners find themselves wondering why their business isn’t more profitable. They’re seeing more patients but being less profitable, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. The problem could easily be that the clinician is spending too much time involved in negative-dollar or no-dollar tasks.

Many jobs can and should be handled by integrated EMR software. The In Touch EMR™ system provides clinicians with automated functions to save time and money, increase productivity and accelerate profitability.

Negative-Dollar Value

A negative-dollar task actually hurts the practice, whether it’s the clinician or staff engaging in the activity. These actions steal time from the practice and severely hinder productivity. Negative-value activities include checking Facebook, email and texts. Making or taking phone calls via landline or cellphone reduce the time spent with patients and directly affect the bottom line. Clinicians need to ensure that negative-dollar activities within the practice are kept to a bare minimum.

No-Dollar Value

A no-dollar value task is one that can be done by someone other than the clinician. Responding to email, calling patients and physician offices, and ordering supplies are all tasks that should be delegated to someone within the practice that is efficient and capable.

Other no-dollar value jobs that clinicians shouldn’t be doing include answering the phone, paying the bills and scheduling appointments. These are tasks that fall within the $10-$15 an hour range. It doesn’t mean they aren’t important, it just means they can be done by someone other than the clinician.

High-Dollar Value

Clinicians should strive to only perform high-dollar value tasks. These are things that only the therapist can do. All facets of patient treatment fall within the high-dollar value range, from examinations to documentation.

Lifetime-Value

A medical practice is a business and there are some things that require the personal attention of the owner. These are tasks that provide lifetime value for the viability of the clinic. Owners should concentrate their time on conferences, business development, and managing and motivating staff. These are all jobs that will provide long-term dividends. Other jobs reserved for the practice owner include conferring with the accountant, working with a business coach and speaking with other professionals to learn what works for others in the profession.

Looking at reports is an essential part of business operations and among the lifetime-value tasks. They provide the clinic owner with information about the financial wellbeing of the practice. In Touch EMR™ provides business owners with a wide variety of sophisticated, in-depth reports to determine where referrals are originating, the most productive staff members, and which payers provide the best reimbursements.

Clinicians/business owners must manage efficiently to spend as much time as possible on lifetime value tasks. In Touch EMR™ helps practitioners staff with better people and choose better office systems to facilitate the clinic’s efficiency, productivity and overall earning power.