Healthcare Practice Advisor Blog

Change your practice with the latest revenue-boosting strategies and practice-improving tips on practice management, medical coding and billing, credentialing, and compliance. Read the most trusted Healthcare Training Leader blog.

HIPAA Violation nurse giving patient medical records

Review Your Medical Records Policies – HIPAA Violation Target

You may have recently seen the announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) had their first patient access enforcement action. The $85,000 payment wasn’t recorded as an actual HIPAA violation, but as as settlement with Bayfront Health of St. Petersburg (Bayfront). So, why should […]

Published Date: September 12, 2019

medical collections front desk helping patient

5 Tips to Prevent Unpaid Medical Collections – Supercharge Your Staff

For years, deductibles were so low. Payers paid most of the patient responsibility on claim submission. Those days are obviously gone putting the onus on your practice’s medical collections to keep your revenue stream healthy. “Most patients maybe had a $250 or $500 deductible,” recalls medical collections expert Tracy Bird, FACMPE, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CPC-I, […]

Published Date: September 3, 2019

medical record subpeonas request for medical records

Responding to a Subpoena for Medical Records – Protect Your Practice

Protecting patient privacy when you release medical records requires careful attention to every detail — even small mistakes can have large financial and legal consequences. The process gets even more complicated when you’re responding to a subpoena for medical records. How you handle responding to a subpoena for medical records can make the difference between […]

Published Date: August 29, 2019

For Fast Approvals Master Medicare Enrollment Application CMS-855I

For providers to get paid when they treat Medicare patients, they have to be enrolled in the Medicare program. But the enrollment process and directions for Medicare enrollment application CMS-855I are complicated and confusing! One wrong entry can delay your application setting you back thousands of dollars while you wait. These FAQs will help you […]

Published Date: August 27, 2019

How to Respond to a HIPAA Breach in 5 Steps

A provider’s laptop is left in a taxi, a front desk sheet lists patients’ names, a practice’s website is hacked, all easy accidents that could happen to you. And how you respond to a HIPAA breach will play a major role in the penalty – if any – assigned. Be sure to follow these compliance […]

Published Date: August 25, 2019

Follow 7 Telehealth Originating Site Rules to Deliver Pay

Obtaining Medicare reimbursements for telehealth services isn’t always easy — especially considering CMS telehealth originating site rule restrictions. While telehealth coverage is on the rise, a recent Harris Poll study shows practice adoption has not kept up with patient demand for convenience and better population health care for chronic conditions. CMS recently has agreed to […]

Published Date: August 22, 2019

Head Off These 3 Front Desk Customer Service Disasters

What’s the most important position in your practice? If you said “doctor” you’re wrong. It’s actually your front desk customer service staff. They are the “gatekeepers,” and typically the very first contact experience a patient has with your office. If it’s a bad front desk customer service, they won’t be seeing your doctor at all. […]

Published Date: August 20, 2019

ICD-10-CM Code Changes Broken Down by Specialty

Knowing what ICD-10-CM code changes you need to focus on updating this Fall can be like finding a needle a haystack. ICD-10-CM code changes for 2020 include 324 code changes (273 new, 21 deleted, and 30 revised codes) – and you need to hone in on the ones you need to educate staff on, watch out […]

Published Date: August 18, 2019

New Provider Credentialing: Your Top 10 Questions — Answered!

Does even thinking about new provider credentialing give you a headache? Sure, you’re anxious for new providers to start generating revenue for your practice. But you’re also dreading those long, complicated forms that are so easy to mess up. Credentialing is anything but simple. One misstep, and your practice’s revenue cycle will slow to a […]

Published Date: August 15, 2019

Best Practices to Avoid Costly Claim Form Errors

Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, sometimes small mistakes will cost you big time. Such is the case with claim form errors. The CMS form 1500 is your primary means of getting reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare. Even a minor claim form error can delay processing and payment or worse—lead to denial. On the flip side, […]

Published Date: August 13, 2019