September 2012

NEWSLETTER

Anti-Kickback Statute 

Proposed Change to Physician Certification Statements

If your organization performs non-emergency, scheduled transports, you are probably familiar with the Physician Certification Statement (PCS).  A PCS is required on all scheduled transports from a facility and it documents the medical condition of the patient that requires an ambulance for transport.  In the past, the information in the PCS could be used in combination with the Patient Care Report to show medical necessity.

A Proposed Rule was issued on July 30th that would place the responsibility for establishing medical necessity solely on the Patient Care Report.  The Proposed Rule stated "It is always the responsibility of the ambulance supplier to furnish complete and accurate documentation to demonstrate that the ambulance service being furnished meets the medical necessity criteria."

The Final Rule has not been issued, but your crews should fully document why the patient needed to be transported by ambulance with the understanding that Medicare will not consider the information on the PCS.  We will update this information when the Final Rule is released.

Credit Card Acceptance

At Systems Design, one of the questions we repeatedly hear from your patients is, "Can I pay with my credit card?" While a few of our clients have set up credit card acceptance on their own initiative, most have not. In response to the high number of requests from your patients, we are very pleased to offer a new online credit card option at no cost to all our clients, with the added benefit of an online interface for payments. 

We have chosen to provide this option through Point & Pay due to their expertise in dealing compliantly with public funds. If you wish to participate, all we need from you is a letter from your bank (on their letterhead) stating the owner of the account, type of account (checking), account and routing numbers, and a contact person at the bank. We will take care of the rest of the set-up.  When your patients pay using the online option you will be notified via email every day a deposit is made.  

Point & Pay charges a convenience fee to the user (patient) of $3 per $100 of payment. Some of our clients have chosen to absorb this fee. If you wish to do this, Point & Pay charges a straight 2.5%. When payment is made, your account will show a credit in the amount of the total payment, with a simultaneous debit in the amount of the fee.  

If your patients wish to take advantage of the credit card option but need assistance, our Patient Services staff is more than happy to assist and will even enter all the information themselves with the patient on the phone. We want this to be as easy and convenient for your patients as it is for your finance department! 

If you have any questions about our online credit card option, call our Client Services Coordinator, Ellen Ross-Cardoso, at 360.394.7028.

Web Report Access has arrived!

Many of you have used the web report access through our website in the past, which gave you access to PDF versions of the monthly reports that were prepared for you, but didn't allow you to run reports on your own.  We are proud to announce that our software upgrade has now made it possible for you to not only access your month-end reports, but to search for patient and ticket details in real time as well.  To use this new functionality you, and any other staff that you authorize to receive access, must be set up with a new log in and password.  Please contact MikeD@sdwems.com to be set up.

With month-end reports, it is important to remember that numbers for the currently open month are in flux until such time as they have run through our review and closing process, and may not be finalized until several weeks into the next month when your final charges for the month arrive in our office for billing.

 
We are migrating toward a paperless reporting process at which time the arrival of our monthly invoice by email would be your cue that the month is closed and that it is safe to retrieve that month's reports from the web portal for your own internal auditing processes.  We suggest you sign up for web access, and compare the web reports to hard copy reports you already have on file to be sure you understand how to enter the parameters correctly.  Once you're comfortable, email ShelleyB@sdwems.com to let us know you're ready to go paperless.

Collections:  To Use or Not to Use

Deciding whether to send delinquent patient accounts to a debt collection agency is not easy for any EMS organization. The potential for collecting additional funds must be carefully weighed against the possible cost of alienating the patients you serve. Let's consider some pros and cons.

 
There are certainly advantages to working with a collection agency, the primary one being that as professional debt collectors they have the ability to devote all their time and resources to collecting debt. They have access to third-party sources, new technologies, and systems for maintaining continual contact with debtors.  Because of their focused nature, they are able to be more assertive and consistent in their collection efforts, and remain up to date on all applicable laws governing debt collection.

On the negative side, agency fees can substantially impact the amount of revenue actually realized. While most of our clients add a surcharge to accounts they turn over to collections, it is important to note this is not allowable with Medicare patients. Additionally, your cost in terms of public perception and goodwill must be considered, and will be different for every organization.

 
If you decide to send patients to collections, choosing the right agency is critically important. Verify that their tactics comply with regulations and that they are courteous and respectful to your patients, who will view them as an extension of your organization. Naturally, collection rates should be taken into account. A good way to judge is to use two or more agencies simultaneously and compare their effectiveness. Be aware that you greatly increase your chance of securing payment by forwarding accounts to your agency as quickly as possible.

 
Whether or not to use a collections agency is a sensitive decision that should never be made lightly. Systems Design is happy to provide information and share our knowledge regarding the agencies our clients use. If you are considering using a collections agency to enhance your revenue and would like our input, please call Megan C. at 360.394.7018.

Increased Benefits with Alaska Medicaid

The Alaska Medicaid program has recently approved ALS-2 as a payable level of service.  The payment for ALS-2 from an urban area is $629.80.   From a rural area, the reimbursement is $635.98.

Communication is EVERYTHING!