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Ideal Practice Workflow Part 3: Billing

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Feb 28, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

Billing should be the backbone of any practice, but many vendors focus on the EMR with no billing function or view billing as an afterthought. An EMR must support billing and that’s one of the unique features of the In Touch EMR™.

It works in concert with In Touch Biller PRO and other systems to reduce denials, increase revenues and streamline the practice workflow.

Effective Billing

To be effective, billers have to enter the claim information, either manually or automatically.

In Touch EMR™ offers an array of automatic functions that make a biller’s life easier, more productive and allows clinicians to get paid faster.

In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO have built-in crosswalks that automatically verify if ICD and CPT codes match, along with the date and time of service.

A unique feature of In Touch EMR™ is that the claim can be edited if necessary to bring all data into alignment.

More importantly, the system identifies any modifiers that are applicable and attaches them if necessary.

CCI edits are automatic and the software tells the biller if they need to be added, along with a supporting diagnosis. The software conducts matching to determine if the CPT code is related to a certain ICD code.

With the right depth of diagnosis provided with In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO, clinicians minimize audits and denials, and remain more compliant.

Working In Tandem

Few EMRs have the ability to transmit data directly to billing software. In Touch EMR™ does and this is a huge innovation for streamlining practices.

After claims arrive from In Touch EMR™ to billing, it tells billers which codes are worth the most money.

The claim is scrubbed for errors before it’s ever transmitted to the clearinghouse.

ERAs automatically appear and can be posted with a single click.

It makes billing more efficient and allows clinicians to do what they like to do – treating patients.

Saving Money

In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO pay for themselves quickly.

If clinicians save just eight minutes per patient with the systems, that’s 5 hours and 20 minutes per week.

That translates into $150 in savings per week and $10,000 per year at 50 visits per week.

The three steps for the ideal practice workflow (front desk, documentation and billing) will change the way clinicians do things.

Practitioners may have to drop their current billing software or service, but it’s worth the trouble.

It’s the difference between a practice that’s running out of steam and one that’s going like a speeding bullet.

In Touch EMR™ can have clients up and running in 24 hours and at a reasonable price.

Many clinicians are entrenched in the way their current system operates. They’re emotionally and financially invested in the systems, but if the software is inefficient and doesn’t work together for the benefit of the practitioner, it’s costing clinicians in wasted time and lost revenues.

Ideal Practice Workflow Part 2: Documentation

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Feb 26, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

Clinicians are hearing a lot about being more efficient in their practice and it’s essential for professionals practicing in the Obamacare era.

Reimbursements are being reduced by Medicare and insurance companies, and clinicians must evolve in the way they operate their practice if they are to maintain a viable business.

One of the ways clinicians can accomplish that is through the use of EMR and billing software that works together.

In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO interact seamlessly to accomplish the three key areas to improve workflow – patient intake, documentation and billing.

Patient Intake

During the intake process, In Touch EMR™ allows the front desk to verify and obtain patient information directly from the payer, create a patient file and schedule an appointment.

The information automatically goes into the EMR system where it can be retrieved by the clinician when the client arrives for their appointment.

Automatic Documentation

The one-click documentation available with the In Touch EMR™ saves an enormous amount of time. With one click, the clinician can create a document for that patient to record everything from an evaluation to treatment notes.

One of the unique features of In Touch EMR™ is that clinicians can make progress notes and they all appear automatically anytime the patient record is opened providing them with an at-a-glance overview.

Practitioners can make changes to their notes to reflect changes within the patient and their progress.

The EMR system also alerts clinicians to G codes and other pertinent data.

One Touch Billing

In Touch EMR™ works hand-in-hand with In Touch Biller PRO to make the billing process as easy as possible.

At the conclusion of the patient’s visit, clinicians simply hit one button – finalize claim.

Patient data and documentation is automatically sent to In Touch Biller PRO where it’s ready for submission.

The claim appears within the billing software and clinicians can designate if claims are sent individually or as batch files.

Increasing the overall efficiency of the practice workflow allows for greater accuracy, less wasted time and increased revenues.

The keys are patient intake, documentation and billing.

When those three aspects work together, it provides a better patient experience and increased revenues for the practice.

In Touch EMR™ and In Touch Biller PRO work together seamlessly to automate a variety of tasks to lessen the workload of everyone within the practice.

Ideal Practice Workflow Part One: Front Office

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Feb 24, 2014 | Electronic Medical Records, Medical Billing, Physical Therapy Billing, Physical Therapy Documentation, Physical Therapy Software

The current healthcare climate demands that practices become more efficient at every task. Efficiency begins at the front desk by gathering all the needed patient information and verification before scheduling the client’s appointment.

The entire process can be accomplished with the In Touch EMR™ for savings in time and reduced denials.

Online Verification

In Touch EMR™ works with thousands of payers across the nation, making benefit verification a matter of a few moments.

When the payer doesn’t have the ability to verify online or they don’t offer it for certain physician types, such as physical therapists, it’s still possible to verify the old-fashioned way with a phone call.

Online verification is critical for practices to avoid health insurance fraud and theft.

Even though more people have insurance coverage through the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance theft is a serious problem that robs practices across the U.S. of millions of dollars annually.

In Touch EMR™ has the time saving tools to quickly verify every aspect of the patient’s data.

One Click Charting

Streamlining front desk processing takes a major leap with one-click patient charting built into the In Touch EMR™.

With just one click of a button, the front desk can capture all the needed patient information (with the patient’s permission), create a chart, and schedule the client’s appointment.

There’s no need to spent time manually entering demographic information by hand.

In Touch EMR™ captures the information from the insurance company at the time of online verification.

Online verification and one-click charting work together to minimize denials.

Patient enrollment and benefit information comes directly from the insurance company, eliminating spelling mistakes and incorrect contact information.

The integrated In Touch EMR™ works hand-in-hand with verification and charting, and documentation can be further streamlined with an iPad.

Manually checking patient information, creating charts and verifying eligibility is a thing of the past with the In Touch EMR™.

The integrated software system saves time, reduces denials and automatically creates patient files with the click of a button. Designed specifically for physical therapists, it allows practices to schedule more efficiently and get paid without worrying about reimbursement denials.

Referral and Preauthorization: A Jump Start

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Jun 17, 2013 | Physical Therapy

An increasing number of healthcare insurance companies are requiring preauthorizations and referrals before they’ll pay for testing and treatments.

Even though the onus is typically on the patient to provide proof of either before seeking treatment, clinicians should take the lead to ensure the proper approvals were obtained.

In this informative article, Nitin Chhoda discusses the referral and preauthorization process to ensure reimbursements are approved.

Verify Coverage
It’s essential that clinics, especially physical therapy management, verify a patient’s healthcare insurance coverage before they arrive for their appointment. The referral information is essential for the payment and treatment process.

Payers are a law unto themselves, each with their own set of rules, regulations and parameters for reimbursements. Some won’t pay for anything that it has determined to be experimental or investigative, or will only pay for a less expensive or basic procedure. Others won’t reimburse for any procedure that doesn’t have a specific code.

Preauthorization Dictates Payment
Verifying the client’s insurance coverage, with or without referral, allows practitioners to locate potential problems with reimbursements or special protocols that must be followed. The data will also impact the treatment provided by the clinician.

For insurance carriers that require preauthorization, clinicians must receive an agreement from the payer for reimbursement before providing a proposed treatment or service. An authorization number will be provided that must be included on the claim for reimbursement.

The critical element for a preauthorization is the CPT code, which must be determined before the patient is seen and services rendered. The challenge is for practitioners to supply the correct code for the anticipated treatment, taking into account all possible options. Insurance carriers will only pay for the specific procedure that was preauthorized.

In emergency situations, it may not be possible to verify insurance coverage beforehand. It then becomes necessary to seek authorization or referral from the payer as soon as possible. When preauthorization is required and not obtained, clinicians may find that they won’t be reimbursed, even if the service was essential for saving a patient’s life.

Practitioners should be aware that many payers won’t issue authorizations after that fact.

The Rules of Referrals
Sometimes a client requires the services of a specialist or a second opinion, but their healthcare insurance demands a referral. It’s to the medical provider’s advantage to assist in the referral process and to ensure that the referral is clearly noted on the reimbursement claim. Once the referral has been approved, many clinicians assist by making the appointment with the specialist and notifying the patient.

The large majority of clients don’t have a clear understanding of what their medical insurance will cover or if there are any special requirements. When a referral isn’t obtained when one is required, the patient will be held accountable for the expense and will blame the referring physician.

It’s a situation that can cost the practitioner future revenues from the client and loss of potential patients in the future.

As more insurance carriers begin to require referrals and preauthorizations, it’s critical for any healthcare provider to obtain and verify a patient’s coverage prior to their appointment.

It will affect procedures and treatments provided. Obtaining the appropriate approvals ensures continuity of care for the client and that clinicians receive the reimbursements to which they’re entitled.

Physical Therapy Software: Adoption of an Integrated EMR

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Nov 25, 2012 | Physical Therapy

There are several things to consider before adopting an integrated EMR software. Nitin Chhoda emphasizes the most important thing to remember is to choose the best physical therapy software that is right for your practice.

Physical therapy software is the tool of the future, bringing efficiency, exciting new features, and convenience to aspects of physical therapy management that were previously unimaginable.

But what will it mean to go through the process of implementation and integration of your current systems and a new software system?

Decisions About Software

What will your software look like? If you’ve read any reviews of physical therapy software systems, you know that some are incredibly intuitive and others are very difficult to use.

The interface can be smooth, streamlined, and logical, or it can be crowded and frustrating. There are so many decisions to make regarding the type of physical therapy software that you choose that it may feel overwhelming.

Naturally, you should start with relevant user reviews. Find out if physical therapy software of other private practices have had particular success with a particular EMR system.

Don’t compare the experiences of a large hospital to the experiences of a small private practice. Be careful about where the information is coming from, because there will even be a lot of good information that is not relevant to your practice.

And remember, you don’t have to get the fully integrated, most expensive physical therapy software system right off the bat. You can start slowly. But if you do work towards full integrated incrementally, be sure to adopt a system that can be expanded upon when you are ready.

If you adopt a stand-alone system because it is cheaper, you may find that when you do want to upgrade or increase features, you have to start all over again with a new company.

Decisions About Hardware

Another big decision will be how to use your physical therapy software. Will you start with computers first and work towards a goal of using tablet computers in the future? Or will you invest in tablets right away to get the most benefit from the switch?

Tablet computers represent a sea change in the way physical therapists can do their jobs. Taking medical records and client histories anywhere is now easier and safer than ever before.

You can also access exercise example videos and engage with patients in different ways using tablets and other physical therapy software technologies.

Research is an Important Job

There will be a set of answers to your questions about the right software and hardware to implement, and those answers will be specific to your practice. More important than anything will be the amount of research you put into finding the answers and the right physical therapy software that will suit your practice.

The most successful adoption of physical therapy software and medical EMRs are done when a team is designated to do the research, prepare the staff, and come up with an implementation plan.

Your goals should be specific and attainable. If you want to improve efficiency using physical therapy software, you can find a way to do so. And you will be able to overcome the challenges that present themselves between now and the day you adopt the technology you need.

Physical Therapy Software Bottom Line

by Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT | Nov 15, 2012 | Physical Therapy

Using physical therapy software will make your practice a success. Yes, it will be hard at first but when your staff and management have had time to adjust to the new technology, the benefits will be endless. Nitin Chhoda discusses how this is all possible.

The decision to improve efficiency within your physical therapy practice should be an easy one. As a physical therapy management professional, if you can make things work better, you will.

But every decision is always weighed against the cost of making the changes. Physical therapy software is not cheap. In fact, some software packages will be completely unaffordable.

Questions to Ask

So when is it worthwhile to invest and how long should you wait? Is it worth your time and energy to start researching EMR solutions now, or would it be better to wait for more improvements in the technology? About five years ago, it may have been better to wait and see with physical therapy software.

But today, the fact is that you can’t really afford to wait. Solutions exist today that are making physical therapy practices more efficient, improving claims acceptance rates and relieving staff of unnecessary burdens.

An Elaborate Equation

The easy answer to questions about whether or not to implement physical therapy software is: yes. Physical therapy software can make a world of difference for your practice.

But of course, it’s not that simple to implement physical therapy software. The process is time consuming and there will be expenses you cannot foresee or even calculate. So the way to go about making these changes will be complicated, too.

More important than anything is your attitude and the way you prepare your staff. You should have a clear plan that involves a lot of time for training and adjustment.

Find the Right Physical Therapy Software For Your Business

You will need to research your options and find the physical therapy software review that is both the right solution and the right price for your practice. You will need to research your own practice to determine what you really need and what you want for the future of the practice.

Each step of the way, you will question yourself about how the process is going to benefit you and the entire practice. So before you even start, you should know exactly what you need and that the physical therapy software you invest in will give you exactly what you need.

Good Investments Take Time to Show Returns

The hardest part for many physical therapy management professionals will be waiting for the return on your investment. You invest in staff and technology and the payoff isn’t an instant win. Remember why you are considering physical therapy software in the first place. You want to improve efficiency within the practice so that you are not wasting time and money.

Physical therapy software helps you and your staff to stop wasting time and money.

You will start to see improvements in your received payments, but if you spend time trying to count up the benefits of your new physical therapy software, you might wear yourself out very quickly.

There are intangible benefits that you will not be able to quantify right away. Rest assured that within a couple of years, the practice you are growing will be a very different, and much better, practice than the one that doesn’t adopt physical therapy software.