I am a fan of the “classic” horror movie. This does not mean Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. I am talking real classics like Dracula with Bela Lugosi, The Mummy and Frankenstein with Boris Karloff and The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney, Jr. You get the idea. Arguably not truly scary compared with the blood, gore and special effects of today’s multi-million dollar blockbuster films, but I prefer them. There is beauty in their simplicity (all the women have gorgeous complexions in black and white) and maybe even more creativity based on the lack of true technology available at the time. Granted I could probably build a better looking Dracula castle out of Lego® blocks these days, but that is what makes them fun.
So in the spirit of Halloween, I decided to put my inner mad scientist to the test and see what kind of “horror movie” theme I could apply to the scary world of medical billing.
Hmm, zombies, vampires, mummies, werewolves, and monsters made from recycled body parts. The theme definitely seems to be previously dead and now alive, except for the werewolf; he is the “odd man out”. So let’s start with him.
The curse of the wolf man centers around that dreaded night, about once a month, when the moon is full. The mild mannered human becomes a crazed, blood thirsty wolf-human hybrid that always managed to find some poor unsuspecting sap wandering in the woods, how convenient.
In medical billing, I can relate this to the end of the month scramble for charges. Are you chasing down charge slips (like that guy in the woods)? Do you become frothy at the mouth with hungry eyes (like the werewolf after that guy gets caught and he’s ready to eat him) while matching them to your schedule and verifying in your EMR? If you said yes, then you could be a medical billing werewolf.
Want to know how to break this curse? It’s not “death by silver”; it’s something much less fatal. Iridium Suite practice management software can import data directly from your EHR by using our Connectivity Clearinghouse eliminating the need for manual demographic or charge entry.
AH, vampires so romantic these days. I don’t get how someone can be romantic without a heartbeat! Not to mention who wants a man that sleeps all day and is up all night flying around the house.
Are you awake all night worrying about the financial health of your medical practice? Then you could be a medical billing vampire. Does your practice seem to stay alive but you don’t know if it still has a heartbeat? Then it could be a medical practice vampire.
How can you sleep at night and ensure your practice has a healthy heartbeat? Come out of the shadows and into the sunshine by analyzing key factors found in your practice reports. I like to refer to them as the vital signs: Pulse, Blood Pressure, and Temperature. (To get more information on these terms, you can download this free white paper: “Check the Vital Signs of Your Medical Practice”.)
A regular review of reports, monthly, quarterly, etc., is crucial in keeping your practice alive. Iridium Suite billing software allows the user to format, save and schedule reports that are automatically sent to your email. Keeping that “vital” information readily available at your fingertips (like a cross and string of garlic) they will keep the medical practice vampire away!
The mummy, wrapped in cloth, unable to speak, can only moan and groan, buried for thousands of years and entrusted with protecting the riches of the princess until the end of time (or until he catches on fire). That is a heavy burden.
Do you find yourself buried in paper EOBs, constantly trying to find your way out of the tomb of EOBs? Like digging up a mummy, covered in sand, each movement of the shovel seems to cause more sand (EOBs) to fall into the hole (land on your desk). If you manage to get free, then you have to “protect the riches” or in this case, collect what is rightfully due, whether it is from patients or insurers. If this sounds like you, then you are a medical billing mummy.
You don’t have to resort to fire to get rid deal with those EOBs or unpaid claims. You can eliminate the majority of your EOB tomb with Iridium Suite medical billing software. It has the ability to automatically adjudicate ERAs received from the ACH with little to no user interaction.
For assistance in strategies to protect the riches, see these informative articles:
“Top 7 Claim Denials” “How to Appeal a Medicare Denial” “Don’t Let Patient Billing Ruin Your Good Rep”
The Frankenstein monster was created from body parts from numerous previously deceased “donors”; then reanimated with electricity. How could parts from different persons ever work in a coordinated and organized way to accomplish one goal? It is no wonder he had all the issues with the towns people.
In your medical office, the right hand (front desk) may not know what the left hand (billing office) is doing or vice versa. Keep your medical practice from being like that monster and develop a well thought out office workflow process involving all the “bodies” in your office. This allows them to work as one cohesive unit. Access this free white paper on “Medical Office Workflow”.
Super slow moving, brain eating zombies have become very popular in recent years. Ever wonder why they eat brains, are they trying to absorb the knowledge of their victims? In medical billing, the only constant is things are always changing. There is a consistent need for education. Prevent yourself from turning into a brain eating medical billing zombie by building a network of reliable resources.
There is a wealth of information available on payer websites, with many that offer subscriptions to newsletters and bulletins. Online medical billing forums can be found on sites such as LinkedIn where industry experts ask and answer wide ranges of billing and coding related questions. Healthcare industry blog sites are numerous as well. Expose yourself to as many knowledge sources as possible to obtain the widest range of quality, helpful information.
Medical Business Systems has a complete education section and offers subscription to the “Biller’s Blog Newsletter". You can follow us on Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Hopefully you have been entertained and enlightened and now have the tools you need to make sure your life never turns into a classic horror movie!
