All Articles Written by Melissa Clark, CCS-P, RT
All Articles Written by Melissa Clark, CCS-P, RT - President and CEO
Welcome to the archived list of all medical billing articles written and posted to the site by our Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Clark, CCS-P, RT.
All articles are listed below and categorized by date, newest to oldest. Click any article link below to read the entire article.
5 Most Important Aspects of Medical Billing: Melissa’s Mention
Here is an excerpt from an interesting article that has been mentioned by Melissa: “Medical billing is a process where you pay your provider for their services. When we say you, we mean that this is the process where your insurance carrier and you pay the service provider or hospital you were in for deductible charges. Now when you know this let’s put ourselves in the position of a medical institution, clinic, or practice that has to bill for their work. Believe it or not, sometimes it is very hard to do this and these businesses have their work cut out for them when it comes to charging their …
Telehealth and Its Impact on Healthcare Delivery
Technology has influenced many facets of life, and healthcare is not an exemption. Over the last few years, several digital healthcare startups have sprung up, and this has simplified the process of healthcare delivery to remote places and people who find it difficult to commute. Modern life has undergone tremendous transformation because of the internet and progressive software. This useful tool has changed the way we communicate and keep in touch with family and friends, how we consummate financial transactions, and how goods and services are negotiated and purchased. There are so many telehealth tools that you can choose from if you are keen on receiving quality healthcare …
ICD-11: What it is, When it is Coming and How it Will Differ from ICD-10
ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is a universally accepted ranking system used by the WHO (World Health Organization) for categorizing physical and mental illnesses. ICD-11 is the eleventh edition of this categorization system. For about two decades, there have been no development or publishing of an update or revision to the ICD. The official presentation of ICD-11 at the World Health Assembly took place in May 2019 following its release on June 18, 2018. Member states are expected to adopt it as the official reporting system starting on January 1, 2022. However, it is still unknown when the U.S. Healthcare system will be ready to adopt it for use. ICD-11 …
The Importance of A/R and Outstanding Medical Claims
Accounts receivable (A/R) management is an integral part of the medical billing process and it is crucial for the financial stability and success of healthcare facilities and medical practitioners. Accounts receivable is referred to as the sum of money owed to the medical practitioner or healthcare provider for the service provided, but not yet paid. The medical services that are rendered by physicians, nursing homes, therapists, laboratory technicians, and hospitals are continuously increasing. An efficient insurance model assists a medical practice in recovering overdue payments from insurance carriers easily and on time. This is when a diligent A/R employee, or department is important, they assist the healthcare provider in being …
Telemedicine and Coding for Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring
Telemedicine has grown rapidly because it allows the remote delivery of healthcare services during the pandemic. Telemedicine tends to lower healthcare costs, expand the patient database, and offer flexible working conditions for physicians and health care providers. It reduces physical office hours and saves overhead costs, like payroll for hourly employees, utilities, and other various expenses associated with an office being open. Remote Patient Monitoring is a key component of Telemedicine. It allows the physician and the patient’s care team to get real-time data thereby enabling communication without an in-person appointment. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) introduced new Current Procedural Terminology codes for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) …
5 Most Important Aspects of Medical Billing: Melissa’s Mention
Here is an excerpt from an interesting article that has been mentioned by Melissa: “Medical billing is a process where you pay your provider for their services. When we say you, we mean that this is the process where your insurance carrier and you pay the service provider or hospital you were in for deductible charges. Now when you know this let’s put ourselves in the position of a medical institution, clinic, or practice that has to bill for their work. Believe it or not, sometimes it is very hard to do this and these businesses have their work cut out for them when it comes to charging their …
Data can unlock capacity in the O.R. & drive better decision-making: Melissa’s Mention
“Optimizing operating room performance is a tough nut to crack for hospitals because true OR capacity is often uncaptured and underutilized due to rigid scheduling protocols. During a workshop sponsored by LeanTaaS at the Becker’s Hospital Review 9th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable in November, Sanjeev Agrawal, president and COO of LeanTaaS, and Matt Ruby, director of business operations, surgical services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, discussed challenges and available solutions related to efficient OR utilization. Four key takeaways: 1. Unused OR capacity leads to unrealized return on investment. The OR represents the economic backbone of hospitals but is often underutilized because of the rigidity of block scheduling and …
HIPAA and Professional Sports Figures: Let’s Get the Record Straight: Melissa’s Mention
Matt Fisher clears up some confusion related to HIPAA and individuals on Health IT Answers. “The spotlight continues to shine brightly on HIPAA, especially as an excuse, when it comes to professional athletes responding to questions around COVID vaccine status. The most recent string of erroneous responses started strongly over the summer when NFL training camps kicked into gear. As players returned and the league indicated its intentions for health safety, questions were often posed to players to find where they all stood. Before diving into a bit from my perspective, I encourage readers to check out a similar article by Charles Curtis on ForTheWin with USA Today where I …
Tips for Recouping Lost Revenue From COVID-19 Pandemic
Craig Adkins of AdvancedMD gives HealthIT Answers some tips of how to recoup some of the revenue lost during the pandemic in this article mention. “The past few months of the pandemic have brought many challenges to physician practices, especially small, independent providers operating outside the domains of COVID-19 treatment. While mandatory shutdowns and quarantines have slowed the spread of the virus, the economic impact has been substantial. Fewer outpatient visits—and even fewer procedures—over the past several months have led to serious financial hardship for many providers. Practices that will stay afloat during this challenging time are doing so strategically. In some cases, practices planned for a “rainy day” and …
EHR Training and Experience Lead to Decreased EHR Use by Residents
Are you satisfied with your EHR? Do you spend 40% of your day in your EHR? Research shows that some physicians do.. “Physicians at large community hospitals spend nearly four hours during work hours, or roughly 40 percent of their day, on the EHR, according to a study published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE). Additionally, researchers found a significant decrease in resident EHR use with increased training and experience, although the overall amount of time spent on the EHR remained high. “Studies exploring EHR use emphasized extensive time as one of the significant drawbacks to EHR,” wrote the study authors. “It has been reported that physicians …
