2010 Major Coding Change

Medicare will no longer recognize consultation codes starting January 1, 2010.
To avoid denials, it is imperative that your providers and coding/billing staff are aware of the changes and what your process will be to submit claims correctly. 

What is the change to consultation codes?
The consultation codes (99241-99245 for office/outpatient and 99251-99255 for inpatient) are still in the CPT manual for 2010, but will not be recognized by Medicare starting January 1, 2010.

Does that mean we can’t perform consultations for Medicare patients anymore?
No. Your providers will still be providing the same service, but it will need to be reported differently to Medicare.

Is there a crosswalk we can use to convert the consultation codes to other codes?
It depends on the code category.

The documentation requirements for office/outpatient consultation codes 99241-99245 mirror those of the new patient visit codes 99201-99205 and can be directly cross-walked.

The documentation requirements for office/outpatient consultation codes 99241-99245 are different from those of the established patient visit codes 99211-99215 and cannot be directly cross walked level by level.

The documentation requirements for the three highest levels of inpatient consultation codes 99253-99255 miror those of the three initial hospital care codes 99221-99223 and the three initial nursing facility care codes 99304-99306 respectively, and those levels can be directly cross walked.

If a provider is performing a service that would normally be reported with one of the two lower levels of inpatient consultation (99251-99252), there is no crosswalk available.

Note: The crosswalks noted above will not work for cases wehre the level of service is chosen based on time of counseling/coordination of care.

For more information, visit websites:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6740.pdf

and

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6740.pdf

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Five Steps to Take Now for a Successful 2010

In the midst of holiday shopping, parties, and visiting family and friends (or having houseguests descend upon you) it might seem out of the question to even think about planning for the new year. But plan you must if you have big practice goals for 2010. Here are a few things you can do now to establish the foundation for success in the new year. 

1.  Schedule weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly staff meetings now for the entire year and communicate the dates/times to all employees so they can put them on their calendars now.  

2.  Send out a brief questionnaire to all staff members and practitioners in your office asking what they feel should be the top 3-5 priorities for the practice in 2010. Share the results during a January staff meeting and use the information to solidify your business goals for the year. 

3.  Review your 2009 finances and draft a budget for 2010. Set goals for gross charges, collections, and operating expenses by category. Make a list of planned capital expenses. Set the bar high for keeping revenue up and spending down. If you agree with the philosophy of giving bonuses based on specific goals, build in incentives for employees to engage in helping make your practice highly profitable.   

4.  Set aside one day (or a half day if that’s all you can spare) between now and the end of the year to clean and organize your office. Purge old files, straighten up storage areas, have the windows washed, ask your janitorial service to do a “deep clean,” and throw away or donate anything not being used around the office. Sound daunting? Think it’s not worth the time? Consider for a moment how good it will feel to start the new year off in a state of complete order. 

5.  Begin thinking about how your practice can contribute to the community you serve in the coming year. What local charitable donations will you make? How much flexibility can you offer to employees who want to spend more time volunteering? In what ways can you educate residents of your community about how to stay healthy? Success is about much more than what we take in each year; it’s also measured by how we contribute.   

Bonus step: Come up with five of your own unique steps for success, in addition to the ideas in this post. Every practice is different and you probably have ideas about what you can do now to make 2010 a great year.

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Walk for Hope

We are participating in the Walk for Hope in Glenview, Illinois on Sunday. The walk, sponsored by City of Hope™, is about taking action in the fight against breast cancer. Our team name is Quill Soul and we will have a booth at the walk. If you are in the area, come out and support our team or join us as we walk together for this great cause. To learn more about the Walk for Hope, click here.

To see pictures from the walk become a fan of Medical Arts Press on Facebook.  We will be posting them next week!

 -Mary

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Back to School

Every year as August approaches, families prepare for a new school year – supplies are bought and the anticipation mounts. Yet, there is still a lot that has to be done before the school year begins, including visits to the doctor.

This is the perfect opportunity to sit down and evaluate your marketing plan. Do you have patients who may need a physical or who are due for vaccinations? Have you made a plan to reach out to them? If not, here are some easy ways to create a buzz about your practice during the back-to-school season.

Send reminder postcards to keep your practice top of mind when parents are calling to make an appointment.

If you are a pediatrician, send reminder postcards for physicals and immunizations. Dentist? Send a reminder card for teeth cleaning. Eye doctor? This is the perfect time for kids to have their vision tested.

Hang signs in your practice.

This will not only help to remind your staff to ask patients if they need to schedule a physical, but it will also serve as a reminder for your patients.

Look forward to the next year and schedule the next appointment today.

After a patient’s appointment for a back-to-school check-up, take time to schedule his appointment for next year. Don’t forget to send your patient home with an appointment card to keep as a reminder.  

Reward your young patients with giveaways.

Getting shots is never fun. Make the experience better with a sticker or toy. If it’s a pleasant experience for both child and parent, they will be back to see you next year.

Team up with local doctors and businesses to create a mini-workshop to address the issues of children’s health.

Talk about how to pack a healthy lunch for a child. Invite a chiropractor to talk about the importance of a proper backpack, as many backpacks are too heavy.

-Mary

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Helping Clients Cope with the Death of a Pet

The death of a beloved pet can be as traumatic as losing a family member. During this difficult time, your small gestures can do a lot to help ease your clients’ pain.

For clients deciding to euthanize their pet, offer a complimentary session to discuss sedatives, hospice care and death with the entire family. Consider making a clay print of the pet’s paw for clients to take home as a keepsake.

When an animal dies, designate a room for counseling or for the clients to just be alone. Before they leave, offer them a small gift, such as a pet angel pin, a black “Remember” wristband, or a stuffed animal for children. After a week or so, send a sympathy card, signed by each of your team members, perhaps with a bouquet of flowers.

It’s a good idea to have books about grieving on hand for clients to borrow or purchase. Some books to consider include Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski (Stillpoint Publishing); Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty J. Carmack (Augsburg Fortress); The Loss of a Pet by Wallace Sife (Wiley Publishing, Inc.); or When Your Pet Dies: A Guide to Mourning, Remembering, and Healing by Alan Wolfelt, PhD (Companion Press). For children, consider Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant (The Blue Sky Press) or When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers (of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood) from his excellent First Experiences collection (Family Communications Inc.).

Some people grieve for up to two years after their pet dies, so consider having a remembrance ceremony once a year. You might also decorate your holiday tree with ornaments in memory of the pets in your practice who have died. Some practices hire a companion animal loss counselor and offer individual and group pet-loss support sessions for clients and the community.

Pet parents who are struggling with grief need understanding, support and friendship. The little things you do can go a long way towards helping them cope.

What are some of the ways that you help clients manage their grief when their pet dies?

-Jim

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Don’t Let the Economy Get You Down

Is the financial downturn affecting your practice? Does it seem like you’re seeing fewer patients? Though you can’t change the economy, there are things you can do to strengthen patient relationships and increase loyalty, referrals and revenue!

Make the most of your down time.

A lag in appointments can be a great opportunity to get a handle on your inventory so that you don’t end up buying things you already have. You might also want to call the patients you saw a few days ago to ask how they’re feeling and if they have any additional questions.

Cultivate your Internet presence.

These days, the first place patients go to for information is the Internet. If you “Google” your practice, what kind of reviews will you find? If you find a bad review, take action! Sometimes you can contact the person, resolve the complaint and get them to remove it. Or you can try asking current patients to post positive feedback on the same site, so that it presents a more balanced picture.

Reward referrals.

Movie tickets and gift certificates are good referral gifts, or you might want to try promotional giveaways, such as pens, calendars or stress balls, imprinted with your practice contact information. Just make sure you do something, because word-of-mouth is often your best advertising.

Offer value.

More than ever, people are looking for value. Simply sharing your knowledge greatly increases the value of a visit for patients. And if you take the time to explain how the things you recommend today will help prevent a more serious and expensive problem in the future, patients will see your services as a savings opportunity, rather than an expense.

Take your time.

Taking the time to listen to patients’ stories helps strengthen bonds and shows you care about them as people – that they’re not just another appointment on your calendar. At the end of the appointment, ask if there are any other health concerns or if they need any refills. Patients will appreciate your thoroughness, and you never know where the conversation might lead.

Reinforce the decision to come see you.

Sometimes a patient’s symptoms turn out to be a false alarm. If you simply say, “It was nothing,” they might not come in the next time they have a medical concern. Instead, commend them for erring on the safe side.

Keep a positive attitude.

Conveying confidence and a position of authority with your body language, tone of voice and choice of phrase will help keep the morale of your staff from getting low and increase patient compliance.

Remember that the economy always fluctuates, and it will eventually bounce back. In the mean time, you can make the most of the situation, so that when the economy does improve, your practice will be well-situated.

Did I miss anything? If there is something else that you do to keep your business strong during these difficult economic times, please share!

– Jim

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