We’re presenting here some easy-to-understand basics on MACRA for 2019. Many more exciting details can be found on www.cms.gov which should definitely be consulted if those details are needed.

When it comes to providing the optimal experience for your patients, you already put a lot of effort in: you provide excellent service, hire the best staff, and treat each patient as an individual. No amount of technology could replace the value of a good practitioner to patient relationship, but a well-organized Electronic Health Records system complete with medical portal can prove extremely helpful to patients. Let's discuss how it can elevate the patient's experience in every way.

Telehealth and telemedicine are making great strides being accepted by health insurance carriers. this will open markets with the variety of multi-state compacts that make nurses, physicians, therapists, and other regulated, licensed health care providers able to practice across state line. The federal government, hoping to improve access and reduce costs, has embraced telemedicine for the VA system and Tricare, the medical insurance for military retirees.

It's easy to become complacent using the same medical file procedures you've used for years. If the old way of filing medical information worked well in your practice for decades, it likely isn't now in the era of electronic health records.

Substance abuse billing is one of the major areas with which drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers struggle resulting in lost revenue and delayed payments. Many drug rehabilitation centers and behavioral health organizations are closing their doors due to rapidly changing industry laws, regulations, and insurance companies. One thing in common is poor revenue cycle management.

When it comes time to submit billing to government and private insurance carriers, the process can become extremely labor intensive to ensure that the payment is received. Time is money when it comes to the laboratory billing process so ensuring your office has adequate software and protocols in place. Outstanding ones will make sure the eligibility is completed and any referrals or per-authorizations are obtained prior to billing. There are roadblocks that can slow down the submission and subsequent payment of submitting billing.

President Trump just signed into law the “Special Registration for Telemedicine Act of 2018” (the Act), requiring the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to activate a special registration allowing physicians and nurse practitioners to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine without an in-person exam. The DEA has no more than one year to complete the task.

During the course of your normal duties at the office diagnosing and taking care of patients, you know that as a physician, you need to be aware of paperwork requirements regarding the treatment of those patients who happen to be covered by Medicare. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and Merit-Based Incentives must be adhered to in order for your medical organization to receive proper compensation from the government.

In medicine, as is the case with any professional endeavor, you need to have the right tool for the job in order to get the best results. When it comes to the flow of revenue in your organization, if you’re not using the right tool for billing, chances are you are actually hampering your bottom line. Practices that try to get by just using some kind of generic billing software suitable for any type of business are doing themselves a disservice.

The following article first appeared on Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO) on September 25th, 2018. It was written by Advanced Data System's Vice President, Marc Klar. Like virtually every other entity in healthcare today, laboratories need to stay engaged and connected with the two groups of people most important to them: their referring physicians or sources (such as hospitals or companies that require employee testing), and the laboratory’s patients.