June 2016

The Podiatry Billing Experts

Dear SMB Client,

SMB is excited to celebrate a milestone with you - the five year anniversary of our Newsletter. We have enjoyed connecting with you these past five years and look forward to many more! In this newsletter, we will focus on our new improved website, security in the age of the internet, and highlight our new employee, Kendra Mahon. If there is a certain article or topic you would like us to focus on, please call Chad at 888-874-5503.

SMB's New Website


Chad Bixler Business Development

SMB Medical Billing has a new marketing web site. The URL is: podiatry-medical-billing.com / podiatrymedicalbilling.com. However, one may reach it at SMB-Medical-Billing.com / smbmedicalbilling.com. The new features of the site allows for quicker consumption of information, use of smart phones to view the site, ability to rate the site and ease of access to SMB's proprietary information.

To access SMB's proprietary information and to communicate with Chad, now, only requires a valid personal NPI number. In the past, a password was also required. The NPI number is matched against CMS's registry of valid Podiatrists' NPI numbers to ensure that the individual accessing the information is a real Podiatrist or a trusted advisor. This allows visitors who visit the site to view SMB's rates, agreements, and demonstrations of SMB's web tools.

The new web site is also smart phone compatible. All of the information available on the desk top version is available on the mobile version. Now one does not have to use a desk top computer to access SMB's marketing web site.

We are excited about the additions of the ability of visitors to rate the site. They may give it a one to five star rating. Also, they may provide feedback as to their likes and dislikes.

Please visit the new site: podiatry-medical-billing.com, rate the site and tell us what you think of it.

Security in the Age of the Internet

Robert Morris Sr., a renowned Security Expert at NSA, has three golden rules for computer security:

Rule One: Do not own a computer.

Rule Two: Do not power it on.

Rule Three: Do not use it.

The take-away here is that all systems and internet connections are insecure and vulnerable. This article purpose is to touch on the risks of system hacking.

Who would want to evade your systems and connections?

Criminals looking for patient data to use on fraudulent Medicare/Medicaid claims.
Criminals bent on changing how you get paid from the insurance companies.
Criminals seeking to drain your bank accounts.
Criminals who want to use your information to steal your identity.
Criminals looking for targets to blackmail.
Criminals using ransom-ware to exploit money from you.
Competitors looking for your client lists.
Foreign governments who want to collect all and everything they can.
Terrorist who want to be able to shut down your and others systems during periods of crisis.
Use your phone for illegal activities.

They take your data, money and peace of mind.

How can a system be hacked? Your smart phone for example:

MSpy is an App that anyone with physical access to your phone can install. It tracks all ingoing/outgoing calls with duration and timestamp. It will read your texts, emails, and documents; monitor your internet use; control your apps and programs; and also, track your GPS location at all times.
The Tilt Sensor on your phone can detect what you're typing with 80% accuracy. So much for keeping passwords, etc secret.
Smart phones equipped with Near Field Communications can read the Radio Frequency Identification Chip (RFID). These are contactless cards such as PayWave, Zip, ExpressPay and PayPass. Bad guys hack your phone then upload the stolen credit card data to use.
Smart phone are controlling smart homes. Everything that the smart phone connects can be compromised. The bad guys now can turn your home's lights on and off; disable security systems; unlock your home's front door; start your car; monitor your baby; etc. Home invasion has never been so scary.
Juice Jackers - free charging stations - can be trojan horses for malware. It takes less than one minute to compromise a phone plugged into a free charging station.
Smart phone personal Wi-Fi hotspot are open networks allowing criminal to download and distribute illegal materials. For example: if a bad guy uploads or downloads child porn using your hotspot, your run the very real risk of spending time in a federal prison. I personally am aware of individuals who are on death row because of this kind of hack; and there is nothing one can do to save them.
Check the size of your flashlight app. It should be no larger than 72K. If it is, then there is a good chance that someone has hacked your phone.
Beware of Free Wi-Fi. Once you connect to a Wi-Fi signal, your device is wide open to be infected with malware. Then, everyone recorded in your address book is spammed with malware coming from your name and email address.

This does not even scratch the surface of how a smart phone or a system can be hacked. In future articles will explore this subject further.

Employee Spotlight: Kendra Mahon


Kendra Mahon New Accounts & EDI Enrollment Specialist

This spring, SMB welcomes Kendra Mahon as our New Accounts/EDI Enrollment Specialist. Her job is to help assist new doctors in getting started with SMB. Kendra collects important information to setup the client's account with our clearinghouse and SimplyPodiatry (SP). Kendra leads the introductory conference call between the biller, SMB's Customer Service department and the podiatry office. From there, Kendra is available to the podiatry's office for reference or information regarding its payors. In addition, Kendra is a liaison between SMB and our clearinghouse specializing in getting the podiatry office's EOBs to come in electronically. Please join us in welcoming Kendra to our team.

About Me:

Graduated from the University of Missouri in 1999 with a degree in Education and a minor in journalism.
Following teaching school for several years, I spent time as an office manager for a company who happily used SMB for our billing services.
Dave and I bought our first home this past January in Parkville, MO.
We have two FUR babies - a yellow lab named Indiana Jones (Indy) and a crazy cat named Lois Lane.

Fun(ny) Facts:

I own my own business called Hooked. It started with my love for yarn and my own scarf designs and has escalated to hand-painted signs, mugs, coasters, and anything else you can imagine. I spend most weekends in the fall peddling my goods at vendor fairs all over Kansas and Missouri.
Graduated from MIZZOU with a KANSAS JAYHAWK dad who made my mom sign EVERY tuition check because I broke his heart by going to the rival university .
Dave and I are working our way through all the baseball parks in North America. We try to make it a Royals game, but if it isn't we wear the home team's gear. :) This year, we are going to a White Sox/Royals game in September.

Goals:

My goal is to take as many worries off the billers and the doctors as possible by working to solve as many enrollment issues as possible - before they happen.
When setting up new clients, I hope to make them feel comfortable and confident in their decision to hire SMB. I work hard to have a quick response and a friendly voice to answer their questions and get them set up in a timely fashion.

SMB Medical Billing

SMB-Medical-Billing.com