Practical Solutions for the
Private Practice
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Our Services
Capture Charges with MD Coder
Self Service vs. Full Service Billing
Do You Know?
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To optimize financial performance by combining personal integrity, innovative technology, and practical experience for the benefit of our valued physician clients.
Capture Charges with MD Coder Using Your iPhone or BlackBerry
PDS is pleased to report that MD Coder's electronic charge capture solution is now available for your BlackBerry or Apple iPhone.
 
BlackBerryThe MD Coder� mobile charge capture system enables physicians to accurately and efficiently capture charges at the point of care, transferring charge information electronically to the billing office. With MD Coder, physicians can enter charge and patient information, review their schedule, access patient demographics, and share patient lists with colleagues. MD Coder provides a level of accuracy, efficiency, and reliability that paper can't compete with.
 
MD Coder BlackBerry Edition is the next generation in mobile charge capture software. Feedback from numerous hospitals and physicians has been integrated, significantly improving the overall functionality and performance of the software.
 
MD Coder Screen Shot
BlackBerry
 
Data entry in MD Coder is now easier than ever - with drill down menus, editable pop-up lists, large, clear, graphic buttons, and easy-to-find CPT codes. Highlighting a CPT or an ICD-9 code now displays the full description of that code for easier recognition.
 
After the charges are uploaded to MD Coder's web application via secure connection, they are immediately available to review and edit.  PDS staff can then import those charges directly into our Medical Manager or MEDfx program, maximizing both efficiency and accuracy for our billing clients.  Once all charges are successfully being captured electronically, you may even be eligible for a discounted billing rate!
 
Call Chris at PDS today to schedule a web demo and take the first step toward eliminating lost charges and accelerating your practice's cash flow!
Self Service vs. Full Service Billing - Which is right for you?
There are a number of billing companies in the market today advertising rates as low as 4% of collections, some even less than that.  So what kind of service do you get for that kind of rate?
 
The answer is simple - self service.  The practice's office staff is responsible for entering and updating all patient and insurance information, posting all charges and co-pays, maintaining the various support files, and even submitting the electronic claim files to the clearinghouse.  Claims rejected during the submission process must also be corrected and resubmitted by the office staff in many cases.
 
For those practices fortunate enough to have experienced billing personnel on staff with the time available to perform these tasks, this can be a viable option.  However, most practices utilizing a billing service either don't have these resources available internally or don't find it cost-effective to split the billing function in this manner.  Practices that choose to outsource their billing often prefer to redirect their "front desk" staff resources to patient care and other administrative tasks best handled inside the office (auths, referrals, etc.).
 
When evaluating the pricing offered by different billing services, be sure you're performing an "apples to apples" comparison in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises.  Verify that you have the resources available internally to perform the required tasks, and that the cost of these resources is factored in to the total cost of any billing proposal under consideration.  Also, consider other factors like employee turnover, vacations and extended absences, ongoing training, skills and experience when making this important decision.
 
At PDS, our business model is primarily based on the full service approach to medical billing and collections.  However, if a client's needs (and resources) allow for the self service approach to be used successfully, we're happy to consider that option as well.  Please call our office and speak to Chris if interested in this alternative.
Do You Know?
What do the letters after the Medicare subscriber ID number mean?
 
*A  = retired worker
B   = wife of retired worker
B1  = husband of retired worker
B6  = divorced wife
B9  = divorced second wife
C   = child of retired or deceased worker; numbers after C denote order of children claiming benefit
D   = widow
D1  = widower
D6  = surviving divorced wife
E   = mother of a child of a deceased worker
E1  = divorced mother of a child of a deceased worker
F1  = aged dependent father
F2  = aged dependent mother
*HA = disabled worker
HB  = wife of disabled worker
HC  = child of disabled worker
*J1 = special "over 72" benefit, has A and B
K1  = wife of "over 72" benefit, has A and B
*M  = has Part B Medicare only, no SSA benefit
*T  = has A and B Medicare, no SSA benefit
W   = disabled widow
WA  = railroad retirement
 
*denotes the recipient's own social security number.
Dear Friends & Valued Clients,
 
We hope you'll find this electronic newsletter to be informative, quick, and convenient.  If you do, please feel free to share it with a friend or colleague by clicking on the Forward email link below.
 
Got a question, concern, compliment, or criticism you'd like to share?  Please call or send me an email with your thoughts and suggestions.
 
Thank you!
 
Sincerely,
 
Chris Burns, President
chris@pdsmedical.com
(619) 757-2200 x102
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Refer a friend or colleague to PDS.  If they sign with us, you'll receive a $500 credit on your account once they become an active billing client.  Call today for details!