by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

I read an article in BC Advantage magazine this month about an online billing school owner that enrolled numerous students, took their money, and then disappeared. Thinking about scams of this nature reminds one that diligence must be used before turning your hard-earned money over to any school.

Some tips to assist in avoiding the scams include:

1) Make sure the school you wish to attend is licensed by the state they operate in. In many cases, licensed schools must post a bond in order to become licensed and this gives students some safety and recourse if the school goes under or doesn’t follow through on their promises.

2) Check the Better Business Bureau for excessive complaints against the school.

3) Talk to current students and former graduates. Are their graduates employed and are current students happy?

4) Choose a school that has been in business many years and has stood the test of time.

In this time of recession, when people are out of work and looking for new career paths, the problem of school scams is growing. Be a wise consumer. Meditec has been in business over 40 years, is licensed by the state, and has a stellar BBB rating. Additionally, we are one of the few schools that offers an MT internship program to assist our students, and even graduates of other programs, to get working quickly.

Do your research, and choose well.

Medical Billing Service as a Home-Based Business-Is it Lucrative?

Medical billing service as a home-based business may sound like a great business idea but it is not that simple. If you are assuming that you are going to make big money from this venture, you are likely to be disappointed unless you are realistic about your expectations.

It is very important not to fall into the trap of different ads that have been posted on various sites as many of these are scams. Make sure your eyes are wide open before you decide to jump into this field of business.

Below are five keys to success:

1. Do your research. In order to make this business successful, it is important that you find out all the requirements and gain complete knowledge about this field. It is also very important to know medical terms and medical billing terminology, how to conduct transactions on the Internet, correct coding procedures and diagnosis in order to avoid any denials etc.

2. Build some experience first. Billing is very tough if you have no experience or if you haven’t worked elsewhere in this field before. So before starting your own home-based business it is advisable to gain some work experience, as the people who have successfully started their business and are doing extremely well have had traditional work experience in the field of medical billing.

3. Take the time to set up right. Setting up is a process which should be done carefully and each step has to be thoroughly analyzed before putting it into action. It is important to work in a quiet atmosphere without any interruptions. Any help you get is good. Always remember, one small mistake can cost you a big deal or even a client.

4. Expect to have to invest at first. When you initially set up this business, your expenditure will be high and you will have to attain all the required books and softwares. Don’t expect to generate high incomes right away, it will take time.

5. Don’t be shy about asking for business. Do not hesitate to go around asking health care professionals or doctors in your locality if they require your billing service. Make calls and send letters to tell them that you are ready to render your help and services. Have patience but at the same time be a little persistent and always maintain a polite attitude.

Be realistic and patient and you will see that you can turn your medical billing business dream into reality.

About the Author: Ms. Pinky is a mom of 3 school children. She is a Systems Engineer, a Technology Researcher and an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. She and her family is well-traveled all over the world. Her blogs and Web sites focus on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home or build home-based businesses. You can find her at Mommyisworkingathome.com. You may also want to visit her interesting site on Asian Travels and Destinations at GoingplacesinAsia.com. This article is adapted from Articlebase.com.

Is Learning Medical Coding Difficult?

by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

Many prospective students who call us asking about a career in medical coding want to know if it is difficult to learn. Whereas everyone perceives levels of difficulty differently, comparably speaking learning medical coding is less difficult than learning medical transcription. Why?

Medical transcription is a wonderful work-at-home career choice but it is very skill-based. It takes a good period of time and persistence to tune your ear to the dictation. For some people this can take a few months’ time, but for others it can take up to a year. Additionally, learning to listen for the nuances in each dictator’s style takes much practice.

Conversely, medical coding is very procedural in nature. Once a student learns the basic procedures and rules concerning medical coding, then it just takes some practice to learn how to effectively put those skills to use.

Medical transcriptionists make excellent medical coders and pick up medical coding very easily because they already understand the patient medical record. MTs can easily pick out the diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used during each medical visit.

Meditec teaches medical coding using special coding reference materials that make learning to find the codes quick and easy. The typical training time to learn medical coding is about 3 months. Whereas, learning medical transcription typically takes 6 months to a year. Of course, there are variances in the “typical” training time based on how much of it is spent each week studying.

Another question that comes up frequently is this: Do I have to be good with numbers to be a medical coder? The answer to that question is emphatically NO! To be a good medical coder you need to enjoy reading the patient medical record, and understand how to apply proper coding procedure. Also, the software available, such as Alpha II, makes medical coding so much easier. In the Meditec course, the student has the option to purchase the Alpha II coding software and to use it while doing the course’s exercises. We do recommend that you do the first 100 exercises manually using only the ICD and CPT code books to get used to manually looking up the codes.

Medical coding is a great career choice. It pays well, and jobs are plentiful. The training time and expense is very reasonable as compared to other career fields. From training time to finding your first job as a medical coder could be as little as just a few months.

If you are interested in this career path, please email us at info@meditec.com and request your FREE career e-book Everything About Medical Coding & Billing.

How to Start a Home-Based Medical Transcription Business

First of all, what is the typical day in the life of a medical transcriptionist?

Basically, a medical transcriptionist listens to dictated recordings made by health care professionals such as physicians. Then, he or she transcribes them into medical reports and other correspondence. Part of the job involves editing materials and checking for inconsistencies. The transcriptionist then returns the transcribed items to the medical professional.

These transcription documents can include physical exam and operative reports, autopsies, discharge summaries, progress notes, consultations and other medical-related materials. Although fairly basic work, there are a variety of different types of documents, keeping the work interesting.

Why start a medical transcription home-based business?

The Internet has made transcription work easier and faster to complete at home. Many transcriptionists telecommute, which has sparked an interest with entrepreneurs who want to work for themselves in the comforts of their homes.

It is easy to understand why medical transcription is quickly becoming a popular home-based business. Although advanced education is not required to become a medical transcriptionist, completing a 2-year associates degree or 1-year certificate program is highly recommended. In addition, you can demonstrate a higher transcription skill level and qualification with a “designation”. You can earn the designation of a Registered Medical Transcriptionist or a Certified Medical Transcriptionist, both of which require ongoing education to pass re-certification every 3 years. This is a good selling point to clients, especially when you run your own business.

Speaking of clients, a good way to find medical transcription clients is through online medical transcription networking sites like MT Daily. You may also be able to land contract work through online job Web sites dedicated to medical transcriptionist careers such as MT Jobs.

But I am getting ahead of myself. When you start your medical transcription business, you will need transcription equipment. Initially, you will have to choose between the standard mini-cassette transcriber method and the newer digital dictation style using the Internet and your computer. This will determine the equipment you will need, such as a computer, high speed Internet connection, word-processing software, headphones, a foot pedal, copier, printer, a server and a data storage device.

Sometimes you can find great deals on eBay.com. Next, a medical dictionary is also a good item to have in your office. You can find several used dictionaries at bargain prices on Amazon.com. Lastly, as with any job where you sit and type a lot, invest in a comfortable chair and desk. You may also want to take a look at wrist support or an ergonomic keyboard. These will pay for themselves in the long run. Keep in mind that you can start small and then upgrade your equipment as your business grows. Your clients may also dictate (pardon the pun!) the type of equipment you use, depending on their needs and requests.

Addendum by Dawn Moreno: The Meditec medical transcription training course is equivalent in semester to 1 year of college time (33 semester hours). Our program is comprehensive, self-paced, and online with textbook back-up.

About the Author: Sue Barrett has been the Director of Business Solutions at Home Business Center, Inc. for over 10 years. Specializing in small and home business issues, she provides quality insight and reputable training, licensing, financing and tax resources for those wanting to start, manage and grow their own home-based medical transcription businesses. From Articlebase.com.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR MARCH

By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people are finding it still difficult to get by. When things get tough, it’s easy to lose our perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking. This nearly always keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing.

Remembering to take a moment to align our thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion can help us weather life’s storms. we were never promised a rose garden in life, but we do not have to bask in thorns day in and day out. Seek to find your own inner joy!

Affirmations for March

• I embrace and accept change.
• I embrace and accept new opportunities.
• I am constantly attracting new and exciting opportunities.
• I give and receive love freely.
• I forgive myself and everyone else for past mistakes.
• I am open to giving and receiving love abundantly.

MEDICAL FUNNIES:

Doctor: Nurse, how is that little girl doing who swallowed ten quarters last night?

Nurse: No change yet.

From: http://www.1millionjokes.com/jokes/87.html

Referral Program

Do you know someone who is interested in career training? Refer them to Meditec and if they enroll in our one of our programs within the next 3 months we’ll send you $100 as a thank you gift. That’s $100 for every person who enrolls – and there’s no limit to how many referrals you can make.

All you need to do is email us at info@meditec.com with their first name, last name and what state they live in (so that we can keep track of your referrals).

Returning Student Discount

As a special thank you, all past Meditec students (those not currently studying with us) will receive 25% off for any training programs in which they enroll.

This Month’s Recipe

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

1) 2 large washed eggplants, sliced in 1/4″ thick slices

2) Flour

3) 6 Eggs

4) Oil

5) 1 large jar Ragu Spaghetti sauce

6) Mozzarella cheese – shredded 4 cups

7) Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Scramble the 6 eggs. Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture, and then in the flour to bread it and set aside. Do this with each piece of the sliced eggplant. Fry each slice of eggplant in a frying pan under tender, and set aside on a paper towel lined plate (to help absorb some of the oil). Once all the eggplant slices are fried, spoon some of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13×9x2 baking dish. Then add a layer of the fried eggplant, top with more sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Continue layering eggplant, sauce, and cheese until you run out of eggplant or space in the pan. Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in over preheated over at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and it’s nice and hot all the way through. Take out of oven and let stand for 15 minutes or until slightly cooled before slicing. Serves great with garlic cheese bread or buttered french bread and a nice crunchy garden salad. Enjoy!

Variation:  

You don’t have to layer the eggplant like a lasagna. You can just put some of the spaghetti sauce in the pan, and then put all the eggplant in, then top with more sauce, and cheese.  Additionally, you do not have to slice the eggplant into slivers but can slice it thicker and then cut into quarters, and bread and fry it that way.

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POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR FEBRUARY

By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people are still finding it difficult to get by.  When things get tough, it’s easy to lose our perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking.  This nearly always keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing.  Remembering to take a moment and align our thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion can help us weather life’s storms.  Whereas we were not promised a rose garden of life, but we do not have to bask in thorns day in and day out. Seek to find your own inner joy!

MEDICAL FUNNIES:

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This Month’s Recipes

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

Brown hamburger meat. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir together continuously.

Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Place mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay tater tots neatly on top of the mixture.

Place in oven on 350′ and let the tater tots brown.

Sprinkle with cheese; melt it in the oven and ENJOY.

(Side note from Dawn M: You could add a little sour cream to the cream of mushroom soup for a bit more “zip” to this recipe).

Submitted by: Danielle Watson

Excerpted from COOKS.COM

The only thing constant about life is change. Life is always evolving, shifting, changing and providing new opportunities … and sometimes obstacles to overcome. As parents we stress the value of “life planning” to our children. We want them to start thinking about colleges and careers when they are in high school. However, as adults, it isn’t hard to fall into a rut with our own lives, not thinking about the opportunities ahead, perhaps feeling that we are helpless to make changes ourselves, maybe too old, not enough time or money. But with the new year, it’s time to take a moment, assess where we are and look at the world of infinite possibilities.

Why not go back to school? In our current troubled economy, some feel that going back to school is a costly expense that could/should wait for better times. On the other hand, in a distressed economy a wider, more marketable set of job skills is money in the bank. At Meditec, we see more and more career seekers make the choice to train for a new career or cross-train from an existing one. Some may already have “good-enough” jobs, but due to the uncertainty of our economy, they see the
value of expanding into a medical or legal career – for a better income and as a hedge against future economic shifts. Both fields have been almost recession-proof for many, many years.

Economically, stay-at-home mothers are looking at ways to add some income to the family budget but still don’t want to work outside the home, and medical transcription is a marvelous way to do that.

It’s never too late to change your life. Meditec will help you do that, providing great training over relative short periods of time, all at home, with excellent payment plans and helpful financial aid advisors to assist with funding.

So, as we move into the new year, ask yourself what changes should you be considering this year? If you are thinking of a career change, expanding on your current career, or exploring work at home opportunities, take that step forward and make it happen, and within a few months you will be enjoying the benefits of your decision.

Something New at Meditec!!!
MEDITEC IS NOW ON FACEBOOK AND BLOGGER
Meditec now has pages on both Facebook and Blogger! On both pages you will find unadvertised specials on our products, services, and programs. Additionally, we will have interesting industry specific articles, news, and career information. We intend to have new medical terms, quizzes, and games for our students and for new MTs. Please join us! The links are below!

FaceBook
Blogger

Medical Coding & Billing- FAST growing Career
Contributed by Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager and Instructor

Right now and through 2018 medical coding and billing are considered good career paths with many jobs available. The 2010 Occupational Outlook Handbook states the following:

“Employment change. Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase by 20 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. Employment growth will result from the increase in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be performed. As the population continues to age, the occurrence of health-related problems will increase. Cancer registrars should experience job growth as the incidence of cancer increases from an aging population.”
SOURCE: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocoS103.htm#outlook.

What do coders and billers do?

Medical coders take the patient medical record and find the procedures that were performed during a medical visit and also add the diagnosis as the reason for the visit. They find these codes using special reference books and/or software. Then the coded record goes to the medical biller, who inputs on a computer the demographics and the selected codes which are then billed to the proper payer for reimbursement.

Medical coders need an understanding of basic medical terminology and anatomy, and a thorough knowledge of medical coding procedures, rules, and regulations. The medical biller must have a thorough knowledge of health insurance policies, laws, and the software necessary to perform the work quickly and efficiently. Medical coders and billers work in doctors’ offices, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, or even for insurance, billing companies and auditors. Some even work from home by starting their own medical coding and billing service.

Keeping up to date on code changes.

The medical coding process and the resultant codes drive the entire reimbursement process. Your office’s revenue and reimbursement rely on how accurately you are able to apply the appropriate CPT, ICD-9, and HCPCS codes, and follow regulatory guidelines. That’s no easy feat when you also have to be aware of the periodic updates and modifiers which eliminate, change or add new codes to both CPT and ICD-9. Coders and other administrative staff monitor the updates and train staff to implement the changes. Medicaid and Medicare (and other practice contract insurers) provide updates to the practice by bulletin and with online information. In addition, coding conferences are often available regionally and are a good way to get tips and discover any new compliance issues.

Meditec and its affiliates also provide CEUs to assist with whatever your credentials may require.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR JANUARY
Contributed by Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager and Instructor

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people still struggle some to get by. When things get tough, it’s easy to lose perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking. This process keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing. Remembering to take a moment and align thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion. Give some thought to these quotes.

“Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.”
Herbert Otto

“Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.”
Tom Blandi

“Remember, all the answers you need are inside of you; you only have to become quiet enough to hear them.”
Debbie Ford

SOURCE – Excerpted from: http://www.motivateus.com/cust.htm

Medical Funnies:

Waiting Room Conversation
In a psychiatrist’s waiting room two patients are having a conversation. One says to the other, “Why are you here?”

The second answers, “I’m Napoleon, so the doctor told me to come here.”

The first is curious and asks, “How do you know that you’re Napoleon?”

The second responds, “God told me I was.”

At this point, a patient on the other side of the room shouts, “NO I DIDN’T!”

SOURCE: http://www.medicalhumor.net/

This Month’s Recipes
Contributed by Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager and Instructor

Southern Tradition – For Good Luck in the New Year, you must have Black-Eyed Peas!

Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread
-2 bags of dried black-eyed peas
-1 bag of frozen okra (optional)
-1 bag of frozen green peppers
-1 bag of frozen onions
-1 can diced tomatoes (large can)
-1 bag of Marie Callendar’s Corn Bread Mix (The Mexican kind is great!)
-Salt pork
-Ham pieces or 1 jar of (REAL) bacon bits
-Salt/Pepper to taste

HINT: It’s even better if you toss in your left-over Ham Bone from Christmas!

Directions:
Wash beans and pick out any bad ones. Boil Okra to get the “slimy” off of it. Combine dried beans, green peppers, onions, diced tomatoes, and okra, 4 or 5 pieces of salt pork, and the ham or bacon bits in Crockpot. Add a few cups of water (we are not making “soup” so only add enough water to cover the beans). You do NOT need to soak the beans beforehand. Crockpot on high for 4 or 5 hours. When beans are tender, it’s done. Drain liquid. Make the Cornbread (the Mari Callendar’s brand uses only water). Enjoy! Black-eyed peas and cornbread are a New Year’s favorite!

Medical transcription students, New MTs, and seasoned MTs all need to keep in mind the importance of research, verification, and certainty when transcribing the patient medical record. Instructors/editors who receive reports by an MT student or beginner who simply “typed what they thought they heard” can be frustrating. It is pretty much evident from the transcription itself, if research was done, words and spelling were verified, and some degree of certainty was obtained. You can’t really be lazy and try to succeed with MT.

Some may view medical transcription as a way to “get rich quick” or “work at home with my 10 kids.” The reality is much different. The fact is that medical transcription is not easy to learn and it takes time to build both speed, efficiency, and accuracy. The newly working MT’s primary goal is not to try to make X amount the first few weeks. If that is the main goal, it might well be reflected in producing less than good work with potential errors that validate insufficient research. The primary goal should be to provide the very best work one is capable of doing, no matter how long it takes. If this approach is adopted, the money will eventually follow. Many women (and men) DO have young children at home and still make a successful career out of MT, but it may not be easy. They schedule work round their children and their needs, and this sometimes makes a very long day.

Some new MTs go into their first job assignment with a wish list for the MTSO (Medical Transcription Service Owner), like wanting to work x hours on x days and noting they cannot work during x time because their child eats lunch then. These new MTs are under the illusion that this scheduling is easy to work out. No service owner is going to want a new MT with that attitude or wish list. They want a new MT who says “I’ll do whatever it takes to get up to speed on your accounts accurately and efficiently. I’ll work the hours you need, and I’ll figure out childcare on my end.” This is the proper attitude for a new MT. Yes, down the road, this career field can offer much flexibility when one no longer needs QA help and has built the speed and accuracy needed for the job. However, it is important to understand that the first 3 to 6 months on the job, a newbie is going to “pay their dues” by working really hard, making a little money, and researching, verifying, and being certain of everything. The new MT will need to verify such things as the capitalization of drugs, spelling of even common drugs, medical procedures, proper headings, and lab tests, for instance. Terminology associated with the specialty one is typing will need to be verified with appropriate references, and all of this takes time, dedication, and attention to detail.

Medical transcription is not a career for everyone, nor is it easy, and it is not a get rich quick avenue. It is a wonderful career choice, and after one has moved through the “learning curve.” It can be flexible and enjoyable. If you enjoy learning ever expanding information about medicine, and you don’t mind research, verifying information, and being certain of what you transcribe, then MT could be an ideal career choice for you with the perk of being able to work at home, having suitable tax deductions, and some flexibility in your daily schedule.

SOMETHING NEW at Meditec!!!
MEDITEC IS NOW ON FACEBOOK AND BLOGGER:

Meditec now has pages on both Facebook and Blogger! On both pages you will find unadvertised specials on our products, services, and programs. Additionally, we will have interesting industry specific articles, news, and career information. We intend to have new medical terms, quizzes, and games as well for our students and new MTs. Please join us! The links are below!

FaceBook

Blogger

Medical Coding- Ongoing Education
There was a great article in the BC Advantage magazine Oct/Nov issue about on-going education being the final piece of compliance. The article stated that above and beyond compliance plans, policies, and chart auditing, that ongoing education is a very important component of any compliance plan.

Some great on-going education options that were discussed were utilizing Medicare bulletins, seminars, coding certification courses, coding and reimbursement newsletters, society meetings, Internet, and tests. Even the idea of creating your own inter-office tests on compliance policies and procedures was discussed. In addition to these ideas, rewarding office staff for coming up with better ideas, policies, and adhering to them is a wonderful way to increase compliance. Rewards can be a gift card, a small gift, or even a paid day off. Motivating office staff to adhere to the compliance plan is an important duty of any office manager. Motivators can be employee meetings, rewards, and having an open door policy to discuss problems, issues, and office concerns.

Working in the medical coding and billing career field entails keeping up with current laws, rules, and regulations. Continuing and ongoing education is imperative to maintain compliance and to reduce the rejection of claims.

Starting A Home Based Business? – Avoid These 6 Costly Blunders:
A lot of people would like to start an internet home based business. However, many people do not know where to start.

Starting a home based business can be overwhelming and confusing for the inexperienced. The fact that there are a lot of ‘business opportunities’ on the internet does not make it any easier.

You can easily succeed with your home based business if you just avoid some common mistakes which people make.

So what are some of the common mistakes that people who are starting a home based business usually make?

No plans and objectives. A lot of people try to start a business with no plan, a very costly mistake. It is important to take the necessary time and effort to plan the business and clearly state the objectives you intend to achieve. Some people start their home based business like a hobby and treat it like one. Do not expect to make millions with your online home based business if you treat it like a hobby.

Reinventing the wheel. Some people starting a home based business make their learning curves very hard and long. The Internet is full of proven money making business models. You can succeed easily by identifying the business type that you would like to have your home based business focused on, try to find someone who has succeeded with that business and learn from them, and duplicate what they have done to succeed. It is also important to have the necessary support network, which can be a relevant forum where you can learn more about running your home based business successfully.

Thinking that you can make money overnight. This is a common misconception which people have, which is also the reason why many people fail and give up easily. Your online home based business is like any other business – you will need to apply the necessary effort and dedication to make it work.

Believing that your online home based business doesn’t need any capital. This is another very common misconception. If you think you can start and develop a home based business without spending a dime, you are misleading yourself. Be prepared to spend some money to get all the resources you will need to develop your business. Although it varies with the type of the home based business you want to set up, you would need some initial resources that you have to invest in the business. This can be for setting up your website, just as an example. You may also need to buy some resources to make your online home based business fully set up.

No market study before creating a product or starting the business, another very common mistake. For your home based business to succeed, you will need to have a market for whatever you will be offering. Demand for your products is the most important factor that determines the success of your home based business. A market study on the current market size and future potential of the product or service is therefore very important.

Lacking focus and commitment. Your online business will need a lot of effort for it to succeed, especially during the first two years. You must therefore be prepared to give your business your total commitment.

If you avoid the 6 mistakes outline above, you will succeed with your home based business. Best idea to get it done right: ORDER YOUR HOMEBIZBOOK, a marvelous planner and how-to book right here at www.meditec.com [Scroll Down On the Shopping Cart Page to HomeBiz General Industry or HomeBiz Medical Industry. The HomeBiz books are $39.95.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ – Free Articles Directory

About the Author:
Jeff Casmer is an internet marketing consultant with career sales over $25,000,000. His “Top Ranked” (http://www.24hourwealth.com/) Earn Money at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to start and prosper with your own Internet Home Based Business.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR DECEMBER
By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people are finding it still difficult to get by. When things get tough, it’s easy to lose our perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking. This nearly always keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing. Remembering to take a moment and align our thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion can help us weather life’s storms. Whereas we were not promised a rose garden of life, but we do not have to bask in thorns day in and day out. Seek to find your own inner joy!

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-24-2006-94315.asp

MEDICAL FUNNIES:

A well-respected surgeon was relaxing on his sofa one evening just after arriving home from work.
As he was tuning in to the evening news, the phone rang. The doctor calmly answered it and heard the familiar voice of a colleague on the other end of the line.
“We need a fourth for poker,” said the friend.
“I’ll be right over,” whispered the doctor. As he was putting on his coat, his wife asked, “Is it serious?”
“Oh yes, quite serious,” said the doctor gravely.
“In fact, three doctors are there already!”

Source: http://www.medijokes.com/hospital-patients.php

This Month’s Recipes
By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager

Cranberry-Orange Sauce: Quick and Easy
-2 Cans Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
-1 Can Mandarin Oranges- drained

Simply mix together w/ a spoon. This is fast, easy, and very good.

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
-1 Graham-Cracker Pie Crust
-1 Tub of Cool Whip
-1 Can Pumpkin
-1 Package of softened Cream Cheese
-1/2 Cup Sugar
-1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mix ingredients together w/ a mixer and put into pie shell. Chill for 3 hours before serving.

Type 1 = absence of pancreatic beta cells (these patients must use insulin) Type 2 = refers to lack of proper functionality of the pancreatic beta cells (may or may not use insulin)

The changes are in the 5th digit, removing the terms “insulin dependent” and “IDDM” from 5th digit 1, and “non-insulin” “NIDDM,” and “adult onset type” from 5th digits 0 and 2.

New V code also relates to diabetes: V58.67 = long-term insulin use and is assigned as an additional code and used for type 2 diabetics that take insulin as well as women with gestational diabetes.

Example: The patient is a thin 48 year old female with well controlled type 2 diabetes. She had onset about 3 years ago and was put on insulin because she was not producing enough to sustain her. She has done well on insulin and her general health is good.

She was seen in the office today with severe nausea and vomiting for the preceding 6 hours. She stated the nausea began last night with stomach pain and diarrhea, followed later by vomiting. Labs confirmed dehydration and acute viral gastroenteritis. Her blood sugar was elevated to 190 and she was advised not to take additional insulin until the vomiting and diarrhea subsided. She was given medication and instructed to call back. The coding:

276.5 dehydration
008.8 gastroenteritis, viral type
250.00 diabetes type 2, controlled
V58.67 long term (current) insulin use

The second patient had onset of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The codes are:

648.8# diabetes, gestational, complicating pregnancy
V58.67

If you are working in a medical provider’s office, be sure to tell the staff about this change so the diagnoses may be recorded and coded correctly.

Virtually every medical provider now need business and medical staff who are well trained to insure the practice is successful and is in compliance with the increasing rules related to conducting a practice. Coding and billing are critical issues in the practice of medicine with lots of federal funds in place this year (and next) to do audits, particularly of Evaluation and Management Codes (the government now has lots of data on those). Meditec’s programs will increase staff awareness of the real issues and the penalties.

Experts recommend that practices commence formalizing policies and procedures and develop complete compliance plans. Voluntary Compliance Program Components.

If you haven’t prepared written policies and procedures or a full compliance program plan, it is time to get it done. Let Meditec help you comply with new rules. Make sure your staff is trained!

Questions?
Please email or call us: 877.335.4072.

In the 1990s, existing compliance programs served as voluntary risk management efforts for most health care providers. For the first time, however, Congress has implicitly mandated that a broad category of providers must implement compliance program policies and procedures as they relate specifically to fraud and false claims.

The changes and regulations fall under the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) enacted in February of 2005. The DRA provisions attempt to reform Medicare and Medicaid costs by cracking down on fraud, waste and abuse by creation of an integrity program.

States are encouraged to adopt whistleblower programs like the federal False Claims Act (FCA), and the requirement that providers self police fraud, waste and abuse by adopting policies and educating employees appropriately. The Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP) represents CMS’ (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) first national strategy to combat fraud and abuse. The program has been funded with $50 million each year for 2007 and 2008. Fundamental to the process is the federal government’s desire to encourage states to enact similar laws.

Effective January 1, 2007, the federal government will actually give 10% of any funds recovered as part of a Medicaid enforcement action brought under a state’s false claims law.

Under the DRA, every entity that receives at least $5 million in Medicaid payments must establish (no later than January 1, 2007) written policies for all employees of the entity (including its management), and for all employees of any contractor or agent. The policies must provide detailed information about false claims, statements and whistleblower protection law. The policies must include a specific discussion of the laws and detailed information regarding how the provider and its related staff plan to adopt procedures for detecting and preventing fraud (as well as the rights of employees as whistleblowers).

Specific penalties have not yet been imposed on providers that fail to meet the requirements, but implementation will be a condition of Medicaid participation.

Fraud charges made against a practitioner may result in civil fines, criminal penalties and exclusion from Medicare and Medicaid participation. Though the government originally focused on large health care organizations, it has now begun to take a closer look at physician practices. Recently, HCFA announced that it will pay rewards of up to $1,000 to Medicare beneficiaries who report “health care scams and unscrupulous providers” to the government. The government is the sole judge of what is considered an “honest mistake” and what constitutes “fraud.” Additionally, coding and documentation represent only one component of the compliance picture. The government’s crackdown also includes physician self-referrals, kickbacks and fraudulent billing practices (elements of the Stark Law).

Experts recommend that practices commence formalizing policies and procedures and develop complete compliance plans. Voluntary Compliance Program Components (from the Office of the Inspector General-OIG)

Seven Components
The Seven Basic Components of a Voluntary Compliance Program include a review of the seven basic components of an effective compliance program.

1. Conducting internal monitoring and auditing through the performance of periodic audits;

2. Implementing compliance and practice standards through the development of written standards and procedures;

3. Designating a compliance officer or contact(s) to monitor compliance efforts and enforce practice standards;

4. Conducting appropriate training and education on practice standards and procedures;

5. Responding appropriately to detected violations through the investigation of allegations and the disclosure of incidents to appropriate government entities;

6. Developing open lines of communication, such as (1) discussions at staff meetings regarding how to avoid erroneous or fraudulent conduct and (2) office memoranda and/or bulletin boards, to keep practice employees updated regarding compliance activities; and

7. Enforcing disciplinary standards through well-publicized guidelines.

Questions?
Too Busy Now? Please email or call us: 877.335.4072.

The practice should adopt the educational criteria into its policies and procedures and ultimately into the compliance plan. The compliance plan should communicate the practice’s policies and procedures clearly so they are fully understood by all physicians and staff, as well as independent contractors whose services are billed under the practice’s provider number, or who bill for the practice. Monitoring is also an important requirement.

Training is an ongoing process and standards for continuing education must be included. The training may be done creatively, should be easy to understand, and examples should be provided of noncompliant behavior.

• seminars and video presentations
• meetings
• outside presentations
• on-line learning sources (that’s where Meditec comes in)
• questionnaires are used to assess how well the staff understood the material

In addition, maintain lists (or get Meditec to do it for you) of those who have attended training sessions, and keep copies of all the training materials or syllabuses. If the practice or a provided is investigated, you will need to be able to show what staff members were taught and prove that they actually attended training. Meditec will provide that information for the practice.

Let’s illustrate coding with an example. A hospital summary or chart arrives on the desk of a coder who will abstract the following information, convert it to code and either data enter it or send it to data entry:

ER visit:
11 year-old male fell from a horse and sustained a broken leg
X-ray revaled an acute femur fracture 17 cm above patella
Procedure: Open reduction, internal fixation and cast application
Followup: 3 week FU with Dr. Marrow

From this simple note, several items may be identified, described and charged. Let’s explore a little further. We look at the visit details and discover that a child has fallen from a horse and has broken his leg, which is the “problem,” (diagnosis). He came to the emergency room and was seen by an ER doctor. The doctor sends the child off for x-rays. X-rays show an open transcervical fracture of the femur, which is the diagnosis (more definitive than the “acute femur fracture” in the note). The fracture was repaired with a procedure called an “open reduction internal fixation (ORIF).” When this is complete, the doctor places a cast.

The relevant coding from the above will result in a printed bill and/or insurance claim would look something like this when coded:

X-ray acute femur fx 17 cm above patella 820.12 / E828.2 (diagnosis codes)
ORIF & cast 99284 / 27506 / 29345 / 73550 (CPT codes)

When the insurance form is printed (and in the statement), the diagnosis would appear in the diagnosis input field as:

820.12 Transcervical Fracture, Open [and] E828.2 Accident, Horse

820.12 translated = 820 is femur fracture, the .1 means it is an open fracture, and the 2 notes it is the midcervical section of the femur. The E828.2 is a code describing how it happened. The 828 tells the payer that it was a result of an “animal ridden,” and the .2 tells that the patient was the rider.

The 99284, 27236, 29345 and 73550 are all CPT codes describing the service to the patient.

The information on the claim or bill would appear something like this:

For billing purposes, the use of the ICD codes, when juxtaposed to CPT codes, tells the payer not only what service has been provided but also lists the diagnosis, symptom, complaint, condition or problem (e.g., the reason for performing the service). The codes thus help establish the medical necessity as the first step in third party reimbursement.

The coder determines the codes to be used following each patient encounter. The reviewer/auditor must determine if the coder has in fact used the appropriate codes.

With this specialized training and expertise coders find work any place, any time, any where! In large medical record departments, experienced medical record coders may function as section supervisors, overseeing the work of the coding, correspondence, or discharge sections, for example. Eventually, experienced medical record coders and health insurance specialist-billers may advance to senior technicians who specialize in coding, particularly Medicare coding, or in tumor registry.

Training of medical coders and insurance specialists has a traditionally required from two to four years of college. Fortunately, this career training course is now available from Meditec.

National organizations and associations for Health Insurance Specialists, Billers and Coders are available for the future certification processes. Meditec certifies your course completion which will enhance your ability to find work. Various certifying association are provided in the course material.