Avoiding charge limbo: Wrangle inpatient charges

April 18, 2013

Inpatient hospital charges can be a mixed blessing for medical practices: On one hand, physicians generate income with little to no overhead — on the other hand, providers don’t always submit charges in a timely manner, according to a recent discussion on the MGMA Member Community. Members say this issue leads to charge lag - money that could have earned interest in practice accounts is uncollected as the charges float in limbo.

Understand payer requirements for billing non-physician providers

April 2, 2013

Using non-physician providers (NPPs) is an effective way to balance provider workload and improve patient access as group practice professionals prepare for the influx of 30 million new patients with implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However NPPs can put you at risk for noncompliance, as every health plan — including Medicare —has its own rules regarding NPP billing, and each state has its own laws for NPP licensing and scope of practice.

PQRS: What you don't do now could cost you later

March 15, 2013

In 2015, EPs will be subject to a 1.5 percent payment adjustment for not successfully participating in the PQRS program in 2013. We know PQRS participation can be challenging, but professionals who are not yet participating should consider starting the process to avoid future penalties. To get you started, we provided answers to four common questions members ask the MGMA Government Affairs staff.

All for one: A new era of health management for payers, providers and employers

March 12, 2013

Professionals, who recognize the limitations of traditional payer-provider-employer interactions, are redefining their relationships and breaking down silos that have historically prevented collaboration to improve patient care and reduce costs. Group practice professionals on the cutting edge of this change are exploring direct relationships with employers and negotiating differently, said payer, provider and employer representatives during a panel at the MGMA 2013 Financial Management and Payer Contracting Conference (FMPC) in Phoenix last month.

A step-by-step guide to improving your billing statements

March 1, 2013

How easy does your billing statement make it for patients to pay their outstanding balances? As strange as this may sound, if your statements are confusing, they may delay or deter payments. MGMA-ACMPE members got quick and easy fixes to common statement problems in the February 2013 issue of MGMA Connexion magazine. Read the suggestions.