Tip: Get ready for the new Medicare beneficiary cards and ID numbers The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin mailing new identification cards to California Medicare beneficiaries between April and June 2018, as required under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The new cards will contain a unique, randomly assigned Medicare Beneficiary Identification (MBI) number replacing the current Social Security-based number. CMS will allow a 21-month transition period beginning April 2018, where health care providers will be able to use either the patient’s current Medicare number or the patient’s new Medicare number. CMS has developed ... April 5, 2018 Medicare Medicare, Tip of the Month 0 0 Comment Read More »
Tip: Don't lose revenue by not working denials It’s no secret that claim rejections and denials can result in a significant amount of lost revenue. Consider this – a practice submitting 80 claims a day at an average reimbursement rate of $100 per claim should expect to receive $8,000 in daily revenue. If 10 percent of those claims were rejected or denied (eight claims per day at $100 per claim equals $800 per day), and the practice only appealed one out of every 10 rejections or denials ($720 per day loss), the practice could expect to lose ... December 13, 2016 General, Managed Care, Medi-Cal, Medicare Denials, Reimbursement, Tip of the Month 0 0 Comment Read More »
Tip: Smartphones in the office To protect patient privacy, develop a written policy on camera and smartphone use in the office. Although there is no law prohibiting a patient from taking photos or using mobile technology in a physician office, many practices implement office policies so that it is clear to staff and to patients what is allowed in the office and under what circumstances. For more information, see “Ask the Expert: Smartphones in the Office” available free to members in CMA's online resource library. Trouble getting paid? We can help! CMA’s Center for Economic Services ... November 7, 2016 General HIPAA Privacy Rule, Privacy, Tip of the Month 0 0 Comment Read More »
