Doctors Resource Specialists http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com A Medical Technology Company Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:17:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Doctors Resource Specialists http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/c24fca1e235a748d87a27a0fe6089591.png?s=48 http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com The 2013 Medicare Fee Schedule and How it Affects Your Practice http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/the-2013-medicare-fee-schedule-and-how-it-affects-your-practice/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/the-2013-medicare-fee-schedule-and-how-it-affects-your-practice/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:46:56 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2189 Continue Reading]]>
There are some tangible benefits coming to physicians as well as patients as part of this long- term trend. For physicians, revenue increases in Medicare reimbursements could be as much as 7% for private care physicians and 5% for internal medicine physicians.

Here’s a look at what is being proposed in the 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule:

Time paid for coordination of care after patients are discharged from a hospital or nursing home. Billing code “G” will be added to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System to cover this time. “They [CMS] are looking for better post-discharge coordination,” says Maxine Lewis, a coding specialist in Cincinnati, Ohio, who contributes to the Coding Cues column in Medical Economics. “It’s for services like following up to make sure discharged patients are getting their proper medications, patient education, family education. They want this post-discharged management care serviced.” AAFP estimates payment would be $94.62 and would move about $95 million overall to primary care from other services each year. They are estimating that the new code will generate 60% of the additional revenue a typical internist would earn under the new schedule.

According to an article published in Medical Economics: “As important as the additional compensation itself is the way the new code would be implemented,” says Glen Stream, MD, FAAFP, MBI, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). “Although two new codes covering similar services are under review by the American Medical Association/ Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee, Medicare’s main adviser on physician reimbursement, CMS chose to create and value its own code so that it could be implemented sooner. It’s important to know they were willing to recognize the value that care coordination brings to the healthcare system and to pay for it,” Stream says.

The precise G codes are expected to be announced as part of the final fee schedule later this year.

Looming, however, is the possibility of a 27% reduction in Medicare reimbursements, unless Congress acts before the end of the year to fix the sustainable growth rate formula used to calculate Medicare payments.]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/the-2013-medicare-fee-schedule-and-how-it-affects-your-practice/feed/ 0 Patient Portals? Do they work? Do you need one? http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-portals-do-they-work-do-you-need-one/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-portals-do-they-work-do-you-need-one/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:26:25 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2124 Continue Reading]]> Here’s How it Works: Patients have a personal log-in to a branded, secure site where they can: • Set appointments • Access medical information, lab and procedure results, prescription refill requests, health history • Send a message, ask a question 24/7 • Pay online Not only does the Optum Patient Portal reduce staff time, but experience has proven that engaged patients experience greater value and trust in their care, and are more accountable for their own well-being. Meaningful Use Stage 2 Requires Patient Engagement and Information Exchange What used to be considered a high-tech luxury, Patient Portals will soon become the norm. Many of the important changes in the rules for Meaningful Use Stage 2 center around patient engagement and health information exchange. One core objective that all providers must meet is to provide patients the online ability to view, download and transmit health information within four business days after information is available. Specifically, 50% of all unique patients must be given online access to the information while five percent must be able to view, download and transmit. Patients must take action in order for a provider to achieve meaningful use and receive an EHR incentive payment. For more information on Patient Portals go to http://www.optuminsight.com/ehr/caretracker/healthtracker/ Email us: info@doctorsresourcespecialists.com ]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-portals-do-they-work-do-you-need-one/feed/ 0 Meaningful Use Stage Two- What’s New? http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/meaningful-use-stage-two-whats-new/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/meaningful-use-stage-two-whats-new/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:00:25 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2093 Continue Reading]]>

In a nutshell, Stage 2 emphasizes::

    • Increased interoperability of health information

      • Adoption of more standardized data formats and encryptions

        • Enhanced EHR systems
      While the final rule necessitates increases and enhancements, federal officials did dial-back some proposed thresholds. Notably, providers now only have to offer online access to health information and secure messaging for 5% of patients, not 10%, as had originally been proposed.
    Similar to the proposed February release, the 672-page rule makes the optional menu items from Stage 1 mandatory, adds a requirement for patient engagement, allows medical groups to attest to Meaningful Use for multiple providers at once, and raises some of the thresholds in meeting mandatory items. For example, Stage 2 requires providers to enter medication orders electronically for at least 60% of their patients, up from 30% in Stage 1. The final rule also added a requirement that all personally identifiable health data be encrypted while “at rest,” in response to a recommendation from the Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory board, and public comments.
    The final certification rule supports the achievement of “meaningful use” by health care providers with EHR reporting periods of FY/CY 2014.
Physicians, chiropractors, dentists, physical therapists, and other individual providers have to meet 17 core measures for EHR usage, and also choose three from a menu of six additional measures. Hospitals must achieve 16 core measures plus three of six menu items.
    The menu items in the final rule are potentially more relevant to specialists than those in Stage 1, which has been criticized as being skewed toward primary care.
    Eligible providers also must report on nine of a total of 64 specific clinical quality measures, while hospitals need to choose 16 of 29. Starting with the 2014 reporting period, providers will have to submit their Meaningful Use-related clinical quality measures electronically.
    The third and final stage of Meaningful Use is scheduled to begin in 2016. To date, CMS has paid out $6.6 billion in incentive money to about 3,600 hospitals and more than 128,000 individuals.
For additional information: Click Here]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/meaningful-use-stage-two-whats-new/feed/ 0 Breathing Room for ICD-10 Implementation: Start in 2014 http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/breathing-room-for-icd-10-implementation-start-in-2014/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/breathing-room-for-icd-10-implementation-start-in-2014/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:04:26 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2072 Continue Reading]]>
These new codes will reveal more about quality of care, so that data can be used in a more meaningful way to better track clinical outcomes. ICD-10-CM/PCS incorporates greater specificity and clinical detail to provide information for making health care decisions.

ICD-10 will provide:
  • Greater coding accuracy and specificity
  • Higher quality information for measuring healthcare service quality, safety and security
  • Improved efficiencies and lower costs
  • Reduced coding errors
  • Alignment of the US with coding systems worldwide
The WHO provides online information, materials and training for adoption of the ICD-10 and many academic institutions have added ICD-10-DM/PCS classifications to prepare the next generation of HIM professionals.

The one year delay is intended to give covered healthcare providers and other covered entities more time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition by all covered entities.

In a press release, AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, FACHE, CAE, said, “ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation is inevitable, but today’s news gives the healthcare community the certainty and clarity it needs to move forward with implementation, testing, and training.”

For additional information, please click here 

Click here for WHO training materials.]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/breathing-room-for-icd-10-implementation-start-in-2014/feed/ 0 Patient Records: Scan it or shred it? http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-records-scan-it-or-shred-it/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-records-scan-it-or-shred-it/#comments Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:10:00 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2051 Continue Reading]]> A Medical Record Retention Policy is key to protecting your practice.

The length of time you retain your paper or electronic medical records has become an issue you need to carefully consider. When planning your EHR implementation strategy, you will need to consider what to scan, what to shred, and what to store.

Why is retention important?
1. Medical records are vital for quality health care.
2. These records could protect you during legal action.

How long should they be kept?
This depends on your practice (ie. type of practice, type of record, its potential use) and state retention requirements.

When creating a Medical Record Retention Policy for your Practice, consider:

1. State Law – many states dictate the retention period – make sure you are in compliance. In Arizona, the law states: If the patient is an adult, Arizona laws require that medical records be kept for at least seven years after the last data of treatment.

Statute of Limitations for Medical Malpractice – each state is different. In Arizona, a medical malpractice action must commence within two years after the cause of action accrues.

Disciplinary proceedings by the Department of health and/or Board of Medicine. Know the procedures and the time line that applies to your practice.

2. Federal Law – HIPAA retention period is six years from creation date or date when the record was last in effect.

3. Laws Governing Minors. In Arizona, if the patient is a child, medical records must be kept for at least seven years after the last date of treatment or for three years after the child’s eighteenth birthday, whichever is longer.

4. Some Records Must be Kept Indefinitely – they include risky situations, incompetency at the time of the treatment (e.g., Alzheimer disease, brain damage, etc.), when a patient is unhappy with the results of treatment, or when a patient threatens or files a lawsuit.

These rules and requirements should be used as a guide. When creating your Medical Record Retention Policy, make sure you meet or exceed state or federal requirements, whichever is most stringent.]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/patient-records-scan-it-or-shred-it/feed/ 0 Caretracker Changes Name to Optum http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/caretracker-changes-name-to-optum/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/caretracker-changes-name-to-optum/#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:41:32 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=2048 http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2012/caretracker-changes-name-to-optum/feed/ 0 Taking Your Practice into the Future http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2011/nasaece-ristique-orci-ferode-fereaseras/ http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2011/nasaece-ristique-orci-ferode-fereaseras/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:14:17 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/?p=49 Taking Your Practice into the Furture with Doctors Resource Specialists. You have reached the website of Doctors’ Resource Specialists (DRS), a revenue cycle management and technology company located in Phoenix, Arizona. From medical billing to accounts receivable to EHR systems, DRS has the technology and the manpower to optimize your practice, giving you the equipment and the time to do what you need to do: provide great patient care!]]> http://www.doctorsresourcespecialists.com/2011/nasaece-ristique-orci-ferode-fereaseras/feed/ 0