Steps to digging under the meaning of EMR certification:

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

1. Click to see the most recent alphabetical list (by product name not company) of all products certified here.
2. Find the company or companies you are using or are considering using.
3. Check that the exact name of the product is what you have or might purchase.
4. Check to find out if a module or part of the product is certified or if the complete product is certified.
5. Check to make sure the version of the product is the version you have or will have.

If you have questions about each company’s exact criteria met, you are in luck! On the ONC site here, you can click on each company’s detail (“View Criteria”) on the far right column labeled “Certification Status” to see what they have and don’t have. Compare this to how you are anticipating using your EMR to meet meaningful use. The more check marks a company has, the better-equipped they are (and more flexible) to meet your practice needs and to qualify for the stimulus money.

The ONC site with the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) is Version 1.0. Version 2.0 is now being developed and will provide the Clinical Quality Measures each product was tested on, and the capability to query and sort the data for viewing. The next version will also provide the reporting number that will be accepted by CMS for purposes of attestation under the EHR (“meaningful use”) incentives programs.

You can tell ONC what you think would be helpful in the new version by emailing your ideas to ONC.certification@hhs.gov, with “CHPL” in the subject line.

If you’d like a list of just outpatient/medical practice EMR products or just inpatient / hospital products, I’ve split the big list into two smaller printable lists here:

Medical Practice / Outpatient

Hospital / Outpatient

Tips On Buying An EMR

Remember that meeting meaningful use does not tell the whole story – if you are shopping for an EMR be prepared to go beyond a product’s certification status to consider:

• Flexibility – does it make the practice conform to it or can it conform to the practice? How?
• Templates and best practices – are you starting from scratch in developing protocols, templates and cheat sheets for your practice, or does it have a storehouse of examples to choose from or tweak?
• Built for the physician, or the billing office, or the nurses, but doesn’t really meet the needs of all three? Make sure the functionality is not too skewed to one user group, but if it is, it should be somewhat skewed to the provider.
• Interface and integration with your practice management system. Does the information flow both ways? Do you ever have to re-enter information because one side doesn’t speak to the other?
• Interface with other inside and outside systems: Labs, imaging, hospital systems, ambulatory surgical center systems?
• Built-in Resources: annual upgrade of HCPCS and ICD codes, drug compendium (Epocrates), comparative effectiveness prompting?
• Mobile applications - EMR on your providers’ phones?
• Data entry systems - laptops, notebooks, tablets, iPads, smartphones, voice recognition?
• Hosting – in your office? at the hospital? at the vendor’s data center? in the cloud of your choice?
• What’s the plan for ICD-10? Will they provide practice support and education for the change or will they just change the number of characters in the diagnosis code field?
• Price, including annual maintenance and additional costs for training, implementation, on-site support during go-live, and additional licenses for providers or staff.

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Medicare 2011: What is Covered and How Physician Practices Can Deal With the Changes

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

The extensive changes coming for Medicare Part B coverage in 2011 should have primary care practices and some specialty practices thinking about their current processes. If you meet with your team now to educate them about the Medicare changes and explAore process tweaking, you’ll be ready when January 1 rolls around.
Here are a few areas to think about:

1. Advance Beneficiary Notices (ABNs) – Many practices struggle with the who and when of ABNs and the new coverage might not make it easier. There are lots of services now covered with new frequency limitations, so practices must be on their toes to recognize when a service is covered and when it isn’t. Sure, you can ignore ABNs and wait for Medicare to tell you a service is not covered, but then it’s too late to collect from the patient – not only too late, but also illegal to collect.
2. The annual wellness visit is going to be a special challenge because the timing is precise. Medicare patients will hear “annual visit”, but won’t realize it will not be paid for if performed within 12 months of a previous wellness visit (Welcome to Medicare exam or annual visit). I’ve not seen any practice management software that handles this really well, but maybe it’s out there. I’d love to see Medicare patients scheduling their annual visits during their birthday month so staff would have a fighting chance of identifying the last annual visit and getting the date right. Of course, using your electronic recall will work too if you schedule the next year’s visit when the patient is checking out. (Do you proactively contact your Medicare patients to invite them to come in for their Welcome to Medicare exam?) Also encourage patients to keep up with the preventive services they are eligible to receive by registering with the My Medicare website (https://mymedicare.gov/). This is their personal Medicare website for tracking their Medicare services. It will send them e-mail reminders when they are eligible for Medicare coverage of preventive services. Great idea!
3. Who will be doing the counseling about the “preventive services covered by Medicare” during the annual exam? Let’s hope Medicare puts out a really great handout!
4. Most EMRs will let you load requirements for services based on diagnosis – for example, diabetes. Make sure you are taking advantage of the EMR’s ability to set up protocols for age, diagnosis and risk factors. If you are not on EMR yet, use your appointment schedule or recall system to set reminder appointments to contact patients for their services.
5. Don’t forget your patients on Medicare who are not yet age 65. Run a report to find these patients and flag them to acknowledge that their Medicare services are at different times.
6. Collections at time of service will change too, of course, as most services listed below will not be applied to the deductible. Exceptions are glaucoma screening, diabetes monitoring and education, medical nutritional, and smoking cessation. Patients understandably will be confused, so make sure your check-out staff are crystal clear.

Medicare Benefits Beginning January 1, 2011

• Medicare covers a one-time preventive physical exam within the first twelve months of having Part B. The exam will include a thorough review of health, education and counseling about the preventive services covered by Medicare and referrals for other care if needed. No Part B deductible and effective January 1, 2011 you pay nothing if the doctor accepts assignment.
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening – People at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysms may get a referral for a one-time screening ultrasound at their “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. Effective January 1, 2011 no deductible and no copayment.
• New Annual Wellness Visit – Effective January 1, 2011 Medicare will cover an Annual Wellness Visit that includes a thorough review of health, education and counseling about the preventive services covered by Medicare and referrals for other care if you need it. It is available every 12 months (after first 12 months of Part B coverage) but not within 12 months of receiving either a “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam or another Annual Wellness Visit. No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of the approved amount.
• Cardiovascular Screening Blood Tests - Medicare covers cardiovascular screening tests that check cholesterol and other blood fat (lipid) levels every 5 years. Includes:
  - Total Cholesterol Test
  - Cholesterol Test for High Density Lipoproteins; and
  - Triglycerides Test - - No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount.
• Diabetes Screening Tests - Anyone enrolled in Medicare identified as “high risk” for diabetes will be able to receive screening tests to detect diabetes early. Covers up to two screenings each year. Includes:
  - Fasting plasma glucose test
  - Post-glucose challenge test
  - No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount
• Glaucoma Screening – Must be done or supervised by an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist). Covered annually for:
  - Those with diabetes
  - Those with a family history of glaucoma
  - African-Americans age 50 and older
  - Hispanic-Americans age 65 and older
  - Other high risk individuals
  - Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after you meet the yearly Part B deductible.
• Bone Mass Measurement - For those enrolled in Medicare at high risk for losing bone mass. Effective January 1, 2011 no Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount.
• Screening Mammography (including new digital technologies) – For women age 40 and older enrolled in Medicare:
  - Covered annually - No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount beginning January 1, 2011.
• Screening Pap Test & Pelvic Examination (Includes clinical breast examination) – For all women enrolled in Medicare:
  - Covered once every two years for most
  - Covered annually for women at high risk
  - No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount for Pap test and effective January 1, 2011 pays 100% of approved amount for pelvic and breast exam.
• Colorectal Cancer Screening – For all those enrolled in Medicare age 50 and older:
  - Fecal-Occult blood test covered annually – No Part B deductible & Medicare pays 100% of approved amount. No Part B deductible and copayment for Doctor’s office visit starting January 1, 2011.
  - Flexible sigmoidoscopy once every four years or 10 years after a previous screening colonoscopy– No Part B deductible or copayment starting January 1, 2011.
  - Barium enema can be substituted for sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy – No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount. You will pay a higher coinsurance if the test is done in a hospital outpatient department.
  - Colonoscopy for any age enrolled in Medicare
  - Average risk – Once every ten years, but not within four years after a screening flexible sigmoidoscopy
  - High-risk – Once every two years
  - No Part B deductible and effective January 1, 2011 Medicare pays 100%.
• Prostate Cancer Screening Tests -For all men enrolled in Medicare age 50 and older:
  - Covered annually
  - Digital rectal exam – Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after the deductible
  - Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test
  - No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount.
• Diabetes Monitoring and Education – Covers Type I and Type II diabetics enrolled in Medicare who must monitor blood sugar (Not paid for those in a nursing home) Covered services:
  - Glucose-monitoring devices, lancets & strips
  - Education & training to help control diabetes
  - Foot care once every 6 months for those with peripheral neuropathy
  - Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after you meet the yearly Part B deductible.
• Medical Nutritional Therapy – Covered for those with diabetes or kidney disease. Includes diagnosis of special nutrition needs, therapy and counseling services to help you manage your disease. Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after you meet the yearly Part B deductible.
• Smoking Cessation Services – Medicare will cover up to 8 counseling sessions per year for individuals who have an illness caused or complicated by tobacco use or you take medication affected by tobacco use. Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after you meet the yearly Part B deductible.
• Flu Vaccination Annually (Medicare pays once per season. You do not have to wait 365 days since your last one.) No Part B deductible – you pay nothing if your doctor accepts assignment. My post on billing for the flu shot is here.
• H1N1 Flu Vaccine - Medicare covers the administration of the H1N1 flu shot. You cannot be charged for the vaccine. No Part B deductible or co-insurance.
• Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccination- Once per lifetime for all enrolled in Medicare. (A doctor may order additional ones for those with certain health problems.) No Part B deductible – Medicare pays 100% of approved amount.
• Hepatitis B Shots – Covered for those who are at medium or high risk. Effective January 1, 2011, there will be no Part B deductible and Medicare pays 100%.

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10 Ways for Physician Practices to Comply With the 2011 OIG Work Plan

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

The Office of the Inspector General just unveiled their 2011 Work Plan in a remarkably readable and succinct 159 pages. The Work Plan reveals their review targets for the coming year. The entire plan is here, but I’ve excerpted the parts that I thought would be of most interest to MMP readers. Skip to the bottom to get to my top ten pointers for physician practices for 2011.

• Medicare Secondary Payer/Other Insurance Coverage

We will review Medicare payments for beneficiaries who have other insurance. Pursuant to The Social Security Act, § 1862(b), Medicare payments for such beneficiaries are required to be secondary to certain types of insurance coverage. We will assess the effectiveness of procedures in preventing inappropriate Medicare payments for beneficiaries with other insurance coverage. For example, we will evaluate procedures for identifying and resolving credit balance situations, which occur when payments from Medicare and other insurers exceed the providers’ charges or the allowed amounts.

(OAS; W‐00‐11‐35317; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; new start)

• Medicare Brachytherapy Reimbursement

We will review payments for brachytherapy, a form of radiotherapy where a radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment, to determine whether the payments are in compliance with Medicare requirements. Pursuant to the Social Security Act, § 1833 (t)(16)(C), as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), § 142, Medicare pays for radioactive source devices used in treatment of certain forms of cancer.

(OAS; W‐00‐10‐35520; W‐00‐11‐35520; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Place‐of‐Service Errors

We will review physician coding of place of service on Medicare Part B claims for services performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) and hospital outpatient departments. Federal regulations at 42 CFR § 414.32 provide for different levels of payments to physicians depending on where the services are performed. Medicare pays a physician a higher amount when a service is performed in a nonfacility setting, such as a physician’s office, than it does when the service is performed in a hospital outpatient department or, with certain exceptions, in an ASC. We will determine whether physicians properly coded the places of service on claims for services provided in ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.

(OAS; W‐00‐09‐35113; W‐00‐10‐35113; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Coding of Evaluation and Management Services

We will review evaluation and management (E&M) claims to identify trends in the coding of E&M services. Medicare paid $25 billion for E&M services in 2009, representing 19 percent of all Medicare Part B payments. Pursuant to CMS’s Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Pub. No. 100‐04, ch. 12, § 30.6.1, providers are responsible for ensuring that the codes they submit accurately reflect the services they provide. E&M codes represent the type, setting, and complexity of services provided and the patient status, such as new or established. We will review E&M claims to determine whether coding patterns vary by provider characteristics.

(OEI; 04‐10‐00180; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Payments for Evaluation and Management Services

We will review the extent of potentially inappropriate payments for E&M services and the consistency of E&M medical review determinations. CMS’s Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Pub. No. 100‐04, ch. 12, § 30.6.1 instructs providers to “select the code for the service based upon the content of the service” and says that “documentation should support the level of service reported.” Medicare contractors have noted an increased frequency of medical records with identical documentation across services. We will also review multiple E&M services for the same providers and beneficiaries to identify electronic health records (EHR) documentation practices associated with potentially improper payments.

(OEI; 04‐10‐00181; 04‐10‐00182; expected issue date: FY 2012; work in progress)

• Evaluation and Management Services During Global Surgery Periods

We will review industry practices related to the number of E&M services provided by physicians and reimbursed as part of the global surgery fee. CMS’s Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Pub. No. 100‐04, ch. 12, § 40, contains the criteria for the global surgery policy. Under the global surgery fee concept, physicians bill a single fee for all of their services that are usually associated with a surgical procedure and related E&M services provided during the global surgery period. We will determine whether industry practices related to the number of E&M services provided during the global surgery period have changed since the global surgery fee concept was developed in 1992.

(OAS; W‐00‐09‐35207; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Medicare Payments for Part B Imaging Services

We will review Medicare payments for Part B imaging services. Physicians are paid for services pursuant to the Medicare physician fee schedule, which covers the major categories of costs, including the physician professional cost component, malpractice costs, and practice expense. The Social Security Act, § 1848(c)(1)(B), defines “practice expense” as the portion of the resources used in furnishing the service that reflects the general categories of expenses, such as office rent, wages of personnel, and equipment. For selected imaging services, we will focus on the practice expense components, including the equipment utilization rate. We will determine whether Medicare payments reflect the expenses incurred and whether the utilization rates reflect industry practices.

(OAS; W‐00‐11‐35219; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; new start)

• Appropriateness of Medicare Payments for Polysomnography

We will review the appropriateness of Medicare payments for sleep studies. Sleep studies are reimbursable for patients who have symptoms consistent with sleep apnea, narcolepsy, impotence, or parasomnia in accordance with the CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Pub. No. 102, ch. 15, § 70. Medicare payments for polysomnography increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, and coverage was also recently expanded. We will also examine the factors contributing to the rise in Medicare payments for sleep studies and assess provider compliance with Federal program requirements.

(OEI; 00‐00‐00000; expected issue date: FY 2012; new start)

• Medicare Payments for Sleep Testing

We will review the appropriateness of Medicare payments for sleep test procedures provided at sleep disorder clinics. The Social Security Act, § 1862(a)(1)(A), provides that Medicare will not pay for items or services that are “not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member.” CMS’s Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Pub. No. 100‐02, ch. 15, § 70, provides CMS’s requirements for coverage of sleep tests under Part B. A preliminary OIG review identified improper payments when certain modifiers are not reported with sleep test procedures. We will examine Medicare payments to physicians and independent diagnostic testing facilities for sleep test procedures to determine whether they were in accordance with Medicare requirements.

(OAS; W‐00‐10‐35521; W‐00‐11‐35521; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Excessive Payments for Diagnostic Tests

We will review Medicare payments for high‐cost diagnostic tests to determine whether they were medically necessary. The Social Security Act, § 1862 (a)(1)(A), provides that Medicare will not pay for items or services that are “not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member.” We will determine the extent to which the same diagnostic tests are ordered for a beneficiary by primary care physicians and physician specialists for the same treatment.

(OAS; W‐00‐11‐35454; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; new start)

• Medicare Part B Payments for Glycated Hemoglobin A1C Tests

We will review Medicare contractors’ procedures for screening the frequency of clinical laboratory claims for glycated hemoglobin A1C tests. CMS’s Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual, Pub. 100‐03, Ch. 1, pt. 3, § 190.21, states that it is not considered reasonable and necessary to perform a glycated hemoglobin test more often than every 3 months on a controlled diabetic patient unless documentation supports the medical necessity of testing in excess of national coverage determinations guidelines. Preliminary OIG work at two Medicare contractors showed variations in the contractors’ procedures for screening the frequency of glycated hemoglobin A1C tests. We will determine the appropriateness of Medicare payments for glycated hemoglobin A1C tests.

(OAS; W‐00‐11‐35455; various reviews; expected issue date: FY 2011; new start)

• Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities’ Compliance With Medicare Standards

We will review selected IDTFs enrolled in Medicare to determine the extent to which they comply with selected Medicare standards. IDTFs received payments of about $860 million in 2009. Federal regulations at 42 CFR § 410.33, require IDTFs to certify on their enrollment applications that they comply with 17 standards. Such standards include requirements that IDTFs comply with all of the Federal and State licensure and regulatory requirements that are applicable to the health and safety of patients, provide complete and accurate information on their enrollment applications, and have on duty technical staff members who hold appropriate credentials to perform tests. We will also identify billing patterns associated with IDTFs that were not compliant with selected Medicare standards.

(OEI; 05‐09‐00560; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Medicare Providers’ Compliance With Assignment Rules

We will review the extent to which providers comply with assignment rules and determine whether and to what extent beneficiaries are inappropriately billed in excess of amounts allowed by Medicare requirements. Pursuant to the Social Security Act, § 1842(h)(1), physicians participating in Medicare agree to accept payment on an “assignment” for all items and services furnished to individuals enrolled in Medicare. CMS defines “assignment” as a written agreement between beneficiaries, their physicians or other suppliers, and Medicare. The beneficiary agrees to allow the physician or other supplier to request direct payment from Medicare for covered Part B services, equipment, and supplies by assigning the claim to the physician or supplier. The physician or other supplier in return agrees to accept the Medicare‐allowed amount indicated by the carrier as the full charge for the items or services provided. We will also assess beneficiaries’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities regarding potential billing violations and Medicare coverage guidelines.

(OEI; 00‐00‐00000; expected issue date: FY 2012; new start)

• Medicare Payments for Claims Deemed Not Reasonable and Necessary

We will review Medicare payments for Part B claims in 2009 that providers note as not reasonable and necessary on claim submissions. The CMS Claims Processing Manual states that providers may use GA or GZ modifiers on claims they expect Medicare to deny as not reasonable and necessary. A recent OIG study found that Medicare paid for 72 percent of pressure‐reducing support surface claims with GA or GZ modifiers, amounting to $4 million in potentially inappropriate payments. We will determine the extent to which Medicare paid for Part B claims with these modifiers, as well as the types of providers and the types of servicesassociated with these claims. We will also assess the policies and practices that Medicare contractors have in place with regard to these claims.

(OEI; 02‐10‐00160; expected issue date: FY 2011; work in progress)

• Medicare Billings With Modifier GY

We will review the appropriateness of providers’ use of modifier GY on claims for services that are not covered by Medicare. CMS’s Medicare Carriers Manual, Pub. No. 14‐3, pt. 3, § 4508.1, states that modifier GY is to be used for coding services that are statutorily excluded or do not meet the definition of a covered service. Beneficiaries are liable, either personally or through other insurance, for all charges associated with the provision of these services. Pursuant to CMS’s Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Pub. No. 100‐04, ch. 1, § 60.1.1, providers are not required to give beneficiaries advance notice of charges for services that are excluded from Medicare by statute. As a result, beneficiaries may unknowingly acquire large medical bills for which they are responsible. In FY 2008, Medicare received over 75.1 million claims with a modifier GY totaling approximately $820 million. We will examine patterns and trends for physicians’ and suppliers’ use of modifier GY.

(OEI; 00‐00‐00000; expected issue date: FY 2012; new start)

To Re-Cap, here’s YOUR Work Plan for 2011:

1. If you’re not using the MSP questionnaire in your practice for Medicare patients, start. Here’s a fact sheet (pdf) to get up to speed.
2. If your practice provides brachytherapy, ensure that you are following the MIPPA guidelines for diagnoses.
3. Check your place of service codes and make sure they are absolutely correct on all counts.
4. Don’t wait for Medicare to audit your documentation, audit it yourself or hire a professional to audit for you. Make sure the coding is correct for what was documented. If you are using an EMR, beware of over-dependence on templates! If your practice performs surgery, track that global period like a hawk and make sure you understand when you may or may not bill an E & M code during the global period.
5. Sleep studies – if you do them, make sure the diagnosis and medical necessity support them.
6. Does your practice provide imaging services? Are your utilization rates above the national average for your specialty? Was the service medically necessary? It’s a good time to find out. Oh, and don’t forget to disclose any financial interest your practice has in any imaging center and to provide the patient options for other centers.
7. Hemoglobin A1c – first we weren’t doing enough, now we’re doing too many! Medicare will pay for a hemoglobin A1c every three months for diabetic patients. Make sure to have an electronic or manual system in place for tracking this. Most practices use a diabetic flow sheet in a paper chart – start using one if you aren’t now.
8. Do you have an IDTF? Do you comply with the 17 standards you certified upon enrollment?
9. Are you “par” (participating) or “non-par” (non-participating) with Medicare? Are you collecting the appropriate amount from Medicare patients?
10. My favorite – the ABN – Advanced Beneficiary Notice. Are you using the ABN correctly and advising Medicare patients of their rights? Or are you just telling them to “Sign here, please”? Here’s an article about ABNs published on MMP.

Will you be called to task in 2011 for the above 10 items?

There is tremendous pressure on Medicare and other government-sponsored payers to weed out fraud and eliminate waste. It is the responsibility of the professional administrator to protect the practice from risk, as well as guide the office in all things legal and ethical. You may be the only one in your practice who understands the liability that non-compliance can expose the practice to – make sure your practice does it right!

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Guest Author Bob Cooper: Leading with Emotional Intelligence WILL Drive Bottom-Line Results

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

In the book “Primal Leadership – Realizing The Power Of Emotional Intelligence”, the authors Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee discuss the importance of both personal competence (how we manage ourselves), and social competence (how we manage relationships), relative to achieving long-term success. Personal competence involves both self-awareness and self-management. Social competence deals with social awareness and relationship management.

Many people reading this may be wondering how these concepts link to business success. What does this have to do with achieving a positive bottom-line? Aren’t these the “soft skills” that are nice to have, but not essential to build profitability?

I recognize that many people want good hard data to back up the idea that leading with emotional intelligence is critical to build and sustain a business. Rather than present you with productivity and turnover data, employee satisfaction statistics, etc. – I ask that you reflect on the following questions and come up with your own conclusion:

1. What happens when a leader yells and bangs the table when something goes wrong? What impact does this have on others? Who wants to do business with them?

2. What happens when a top performer is taken for granted, and not sincerely acknowledged?

3. What happens when a member of your team is going through a difficult personal situation and you don’t take the time to listen and show empathy?

4. What happens when a leader says his/her employees are the most important asset, but rarely shows it?

5. What happens when the boss asks a direct report to get him/her a cup of coffee and never reciprocates?

6. What happens when a leader does not build team unity, but allows conflict amongst team members to grow?

7. What happens when a leader fails to build the competence and confidence of team members?

8. What happens when the leader is not aware of his/her strengths and limitations?

9. What happens when the leader is not able to handle adversity and change?

10. What happens when the leader is not transparent in communications, givingothers the feeling that the truth is being withheld?

The following are a few suggestions to enhance your emotional intelligence:

1. Keep disruptive emotions and impulses under control.

2. Show all employees that you value their contributions and respect them as individuals. Find ways to recognize and reward outstanding performance.

3. Pay attention to other’s emotions, understand their perspective, and show an interest in helping them whenever possible.

4. Recognize and meet other’s needs – be willing to serve them.

5. Model what it means to be a good team player. Develop team standards and hold yourself and others accountable for “living” these behaviors.

6. Know your strengths and limits, and surround yourself with individuals with complimentary strengths. Great leaders know they are only as good as the team they surround themselves with.

7. Develop team members by giving honest and timely feedback, and offering guidance to help them to reach their full potential.

8. Demonstrate the ability to be flexible in handling changing situations. Help others to work with you to overcome obstacles, and move in a new direction when necessary.

9. Display transparency through communications and behaviors that demonstrate honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness.

10. Be optimistic, and help others to see both organizational and individual potential.

These are just a few issues to reflect on. These are important to employees – especially top performers. When I am asked about what I believe to be an acceptable turnover rate I always answer – “It depends on who’s leaving, and why they are leaving.”

If you truly believe that employees make the difference, then you will want to make sure that all the above questions are addressed in a positive way.

The price an organization pays when it loses the heart and soul of its employees is beyond measure. Leaders who don’t take these questions seriously, and violate the underlying principles, will lose their followers. Without followers, no real leadership exists. Without followers, your business becomes a house of cards – ready to crumble. It’s only a matter of time before you see an erosion of market share. If your competitors embrace these principles, and thus have loyal followers, they will deliver exceptional service, and develop more innovative products and services. I have witnessed CEOs and other executives removed because of a lack of emotional intelligence.

Creativity and innovation are unleashed by leaders who demonstrate high integrity, compassion, and show they truly care about their employees.

Leading with emotional intelligence makes good business sense. It is not a “soft skill” – it’s the real truth.

Bob Cooper is the founder and president of RL Cooper Associates, an innovative healthcare organizational and management consulting firm. With over twenty-five years experience in people and organizational development, Mr. Cooper’s focus is placed on identifying strategies that maximize organizational effectiveness and fundamental transformation by enabling individuals and groups to reach their full potential. In addition to “Heart and Soul in the Boardroom”, Mr. Cooper is the author of “Huddle Up – Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Service Excellence”, and “Leadership Tips To Enhance Staff Satisfaction and Retention.” Mr. Cooper holds an MS in Human Resource Management and a BA in Economics. He is also a member of Strathmore’s Who’s Who. Bob can be contacted at rlcooperassoc@aol.com.

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2010 Mid Year Medicare Fee Schedule Released

As you know, CMS updated the 2010 Medicare Fee schedule to provide for a 2.2% increase, effective June 1, 2010. DataPlus has worked hard to adjust our system to allow for two Medicare Fee Schedules in the same year. This change is now available to all of our clients.

Please follow the instructions below to take advantage of this change and to update your DataPlus system correctly.

If your DataPlus system has a customized RVU table, please disregard this notice, and DO NOT run any update. If you are unsure, please contact our Support Team.

This process can be performed on any computer that has DataPlus on it by following the steps below. This does not have to be done from the server.

1. Open DataPlus and navigate to the "Utilities Menu."
2. Select "Check for CMS Updates" and select "Continue." DataPlus will compare your system with the master database and determine if your system is up-to-date.
3. Once updates are found, select "Continue" again to update your database.

After the updates are completed, it is time to maintain your Medicare contracts, as follows:

1. All of your current 2010 Medicare contacts must have the contract end dates modified. Open each 2010 Medicare contract and change the contract end date to 05/31/2010. Remember that you probably have at least two Medicare Contracts (Facility and Non-Facility), and perhaps even a third (ASC). Each one of these must have the contract end date changed.
2. Next you must create new Medicare 2010 Contracts / Fee Schedules. Set these contracts up just as you have before (remember the name must be unique), but make the contract start date 06/01/2010 and the end date 12/31/2010.
3. Create the fee schedule as you have done in the past.
4. Remember that you will need a separate contract for Facility, Non-Facility, and ASC (if you provide services in an Ambulatory Surgical Center).

After you have completed the updates on your contracts and fee schedules, HealthPort users should run Step 5. Once this process runs, Payment Audit will take the changes in the Medicare Fee schedule and remove any items that are no longer appropriate due to the changes. It will also add to any new underpaid items. For Centricity users, this will occur during your nightly update.

Not a current user of our Revenue Recovery system? Interested in finding additional revenue? Using the DataPlus Revenue Recovery Module, including Contracts, Fee Schedules, and Payment Audit, can bring an additional 6% to your practice's bottom line! Call us today for a demonstration!

The Affordable Care Act Leaps Into Social Media With Its Own Facebook Fan Page!

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the launch of HealthCare.gov on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Healthcare.gov.

“HealthCare.gov on Facebook offers Facebook users a new tool to understand and stay informed about the Affordable Care Act,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “This new page is another resource that people can use to learn about and discuss health care issues that are important to them, their family, or their small business.”

HealthCare.gov on Facebook provides additional resources that allow consumers to take health care into their own hands.

HealthCare.gov on Facebook allows people to:

• Search for insurance coverage using our “Insurance Finder” tool. The tool asks users to fill out two fields with basic information about themselves and the state they live in. Users are then redirected to a page on HealthCare.gov that continues with the insurance finder process based on the information provided.
  
• Share thoughts and ideas with other members of the HealthCare.gov network.
  
• Learn more about what the Affordable Care Act means for individuals, families, or small businesses.
  
• Stay informed with new blog posts and webchats.

To join HealthCare.gov on Facebook visit http://www.facebook.com/Healthcare.gov, and click the “Like” button at the top of the page.

*Text from today’s press release


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How My Practice Knew We Were Ready for EMR

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

My current practice is getting ready to go live on Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in just two short months, but it’s taken us over a year to get here. When I first started this job, we were supposed to go live with EMR in two months. After I’d had a chance to speak with everyone, I just knew the timing wasn’t right for the EMR. We would need to be able to run, and at that moment we were just starting to crawl.

What were the signs we weren’t ready?

• communication problems with the vendor, who provided the existing practice management system and the new EMR
• issues with the practice management system which had been mis-identified as being support-related
• basic decisions had not been made: one shared medical record for all clinics or individual records for each clinic?
• no single point person who was keeping everything together
  lots of frustrated and worried faces – did we know what we were doing?

A sigh of relief…

Although we knew we wanted the EMR and we had already made the investment, we also knew it might be a train wreck if we didn’t get some other questions answered first. When I announced we were going to delay the go-live until we had some other issues resolved, there was a sigh of relief from all involved.

What did we do to get ready for EMR?

1. We attacked the support problems by rerouting all support issues through one person – me. I kept a detailed log of all support issues and the resolution of each. I found the vendor to be surprisingly helpful and issues relatively easy to resolve. As I asked questions and we fixed issues, we found that much of our problem was training-related.

2. We held a major training event where all non-clinical staff were retrained to use the practice management system and everyone was given new cheat sheets for the correct way to use the system.

3. We realized that staff were worried about the impact of the EMR because the providers were overwhelmed with the current workload. They didn’t know how we would get through the pre-live work, the huge challenge that is the go-live and first few months of adjustment. After some intense evaluation, we changed our scheduling strategy and moved established visits from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, adding four work-in appointments and setting rules for adding more than four work-ins.

4. We took the vitals out of the halls and into the exam rooms, making the office quieter and the patient interactions private.

5. We also got control of most of our paper processes that weren’t working. We color-coded messages, re-educated patients about new ways of communicating with us and we managed to bring our fax and phone call volumes down to a manageable number.

6. We assigned nurses to the providers and asked the provider-nurse duos to put their arms around their patient panels as a team. The patients love it. We moved a float nurse to a triage nurse position to start taking all requests for same day sick visits and scheduling them appropriately.

7. We are soon to add an answering service (I prefer the term “virtual receptionist”) to our phones. The virtual receptionists (1000 miles away!) will take calls for the nurses and providers, typing them directly into our EMR.

8. We also started a front-end collection system, bringing our accounts receivable under control by adding automated eligibility, a new financial policy, collecting co-pays at check-in, calling patients with old balances before they arrived for their visit, and instituting a discount for non-insured patients.

How will you know when your practice is ready for EMR?

• You are not overwhelmed on a day-to-day basis. If your practice isn’t running well without an EMR, it is not going to run better with an EMR. If you are having operational issues, consider having a consultant help you set up new processes to handle the hurdles you’re facing now. The EMR does not fix operational issues, with the possible exception of lost paper charts.
• Your staffing is stable. There will always be some employees coming and going, but if you are experiencing one of those cyclical shifts when you have several new staff at once (especially nurses), you might want to give them a little more time to get a handle on their jobs before introducing EMR.
• You have your practice management act together – your PM works well and is up-to-date.
• Your finances are in order. If it takes several months of lower productivity, followed by less collections, you can weather the storm because you are on top of the dollars.

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22 Ways You Will Use QR (Quick Response) Codes in Healthcare in the Future (if You’re Smart!)

by Mary Pat Whaley http://www.managemypractice.com/

A QR (Quick Response or Quick Read) Code is a two-dimensional matrix/bar code. Users hold their phone up to the code displayed on a sign, in a book, on a computer screen, tv, or almost anywhere. The phone camera snaps the code and takes the user to a website or video with more information – no typing needed – just point and click.

QR Codes are most common in Japan where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. (definition courtesy of Mashapedia = wikipedia and Mashable)

- Billboards advertising hospitals and medical groups will have QR codes so travelers can get more information about facilities or get directions to the closest Emergency Department, Urgent Care or family practice.

- Television advertising for pharmaceuticals will have QR codes so viewers can get more information on the spot.

- Healthcare facilities will have QR codes for all types of information and videos that providers and nurses will instruct patients to scan based on their health problems.

- Magazines and newspapers will have QR codes that readers can scan to get health information and health product coupons.

- Scanning QR codes when exercising or purchasing healthy foods will get you reward points with your health plan, your doctor or your employer.

- Comparison of foods that you should or should not buy in grocery stores based on your individual health problems will be easy when you scan the food’s QR codes.

- Caregivers will scan QR codes to receive information and videos for caring for their loved one at home.

- When purchasing over the counter medications, vitamins and supplements, you will scan the QR to make sure the medication isn’t contraindicated for any prescription medication you are taking.

- Scanning the QR code on food or cleaning products will let you know if they contain anything that you are allergic to.

- At health fairs, attendees will scan QR codes for more information on health topics and your facility and services.

- Disposable diapers will each come with a unique QR code that Moms (and babies) can scan to get childcare tips, games, songs and medical advice.

- Urgent Care facilities and Emergency Rooms will have QR codes for instant access to wait times.

- QR codes in healthcare facilities will let users download helpful mobile healthcare applications like those that help you control your chronic illness or lose weight.

- In print advertising for physicians, potential patients will scan the QR code to view the physicians talking about their background, their specialties and their desire to have you as a new patient!

- Referring patients to facilities or specialty practices will be much easier when patients scan the QR code for the referral and receive information, instructions and directions to the appointment.

- Healthcare facilities will give out t-shirts and carrying bags promoting their services and the QR codes on them will spread the word to others. (Yes, people will scan each others’ t-shirt codes!)

- Patients taking home holter monitors and CPAPs will be able to scan the QR code on the machine to get a “how-to” video on using it.

- Patients taking home sample medications from physician offices will have QR codes on the bag to scan to remember how they are to take the samples.

- Temporary tatoo QR codes will identify those patients who won’t wear identifying bracelets, have dementia, or tend to wander away.

- Hospital patients will scan the menu broadcast on their TV to order their daily meals.

- If you are going to be late to your doctor’s appointment, you will scan a QR code to email an alert to the office that you are on the way. (Wait, maybe that’s too easy!)

- Pharmacies will have QRs loaded with prescription prices by insurance company plan on their website so providers can compare different drugs and chose the best drug for the patient at the best price.


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:::Holiday Hours Reminder:::

DataPlus corporate and support offices will be closed Monday, September 6th in honor of Labor Day. Normal office hours will resume Tuesday, September 7th. We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday.