January 25, 2010 |
Issue No. 1 | |
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Newsletter Archive
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Want to read a back issue of IPC's newsletter?
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| It's A Girl! |
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Melissa from our accounts receivable department had a baby! Please welcome Aeryn Elizabeth.
Weight: 6lbs 15oz
Length: 20in
Congratulations to the new mom! |
| New Coders on Staff |
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Last year Julie and Melissa satisfied the requirements of the American Academy of Professional Coders and are now Certified. Join us in congratulating our new professional coders. | |
Greetings!
While the EMR stimulus cash is appealing, providers may have to jump through several hoops to get it. Read on to learn more about the requirments for meaningful use of an EMR as well as techniques for saving money and the environment.
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| Wait To Purchase An EMR |
We know you've been inundated with calls from sales persons urging you to purchase an EMR package in order to qualify for the $44,000 per physician HiTech stimulus money. However, we advise you to wait until all of the "meaningful use" issues are ironed out. The federal government will only be awarding this money to practices that have adopted an EMR and are satisfying "meaningful use" criteria. Ann Richardson Berkey, V-P of Public Affairs for McKesson, states the proposed EMR quality guidelines fully apply only to primary care providers. This is definitely a problem for our specialty-based clients. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) believes that physicians face significant challenges meeting these criteria as currently written. Their objections include:
- Unreasonable thresholds for some of the meaningful use criteria (i.e., computerized prescription order entry, electronic claim submission, electronic insurance eligibility verification, and others);
- Potentially difficult meaningful use attestation after the first year; and
- A requirement that physician offices provide patients and others with electronic copies of medical records.
We will keep you updated as this issue progresses.
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| Join IPC in Being GREEN! |
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We at IPC use recycled paper for all we do, but that is not the only enviro-friendly action we take. Two years ago we implemented an electronic fax system so that everything you send us comes directly to our computer and is only printed if necessary. Make sure you send us faxes using your client specific direct fax line so your fax gets to the right place. Give us a call if you are not sure what your fax line is, we'll be happy to remind you. In an effort to save resources and the environment, we are also implementing these new changes:
- We are now sending all credit card payment slips via fax. If you need them sent to a certain employee's attention, please let us know. This saves US paper as we can send faxes directly from our computer without printing the sheet.
- When a patient calls to make a credit card payment we are no longer offering them a receipt, but if a receipt is requested we will note it on the form. This saves YOU paper and postage.
By working together we can reduce our carbon footprint.
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| About Us |
If you have any questions regarding this newsletter, you can contact us at:
Mary Ellen Duffy med@ipcbilling.com Patricia Nevala pat@ipcbilling.comor call us at 616-459-6867 or 800-606-1455
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your staff and peers.
Innovative Practice Concepts, LLC -- A full service medical billing company
Your Bottom Line is our Top Priority!
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