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Are You Still Working on Your SMART Goals?

Webmaster — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:25:27 +0000

When we wrote our blog Are You Setting SMART Goals for Your Medical Billing Office in 2011? we asked if you had set your goals for 2011 and gave you some guidelines for setting SMART goals that are (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Timely).

We had no idea that it would be one of our most popular blogs, but we think we figured out why.

Most of us start the year off with the best of intentions. We set goals and create lists of all the things we intend to do, but somewhere along February, we fall off and forget what we planned.

So we’re checking in with you to see how you’re doing. We want to expand this beyond the medical billing profession and ask ALL of our business readers to let us know you you’re doing.

Have you taken a look at your profitability to see where your best leads and sales are coming from?
Are you doing what you can to improve the collection rates of your receivables?
Do you stay current with changes in your industry. (For us we’re learning constantly about ICD-10 and ACOs) What’s the buzz in your industry?
How are you doing at streamlining and reducing waste?
Have you given Outsourcing a thought?
What goals can you check off your list?

We’re celebrating our 25th year so we’re turning things upside down and answering these questions ourselves. How about you? Chime in and let us know how you’re doing on your SMART goals!

Would YOU Take a Pay 4 Performance Job? At MAS, we love the concept and practice it with...
Is big business looking to cash in on ACO and healthcare reform? Check out this post from the latest FierceHealthcare News Brief...
Get linkedIn to the Turnaround of Healthcare! With all that is going on today, rarely is there...

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Get linkedIn to the Turnaround of Healthcare!

Webmaster — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:27:22 +0000

All too often our issues with healthcare revolves around political issues, whether or not we can get access to treatment or coverage under our insurance providers and so on. On the front lines institutions battle with overworked billing departments and indifferences with insurance providers. Thrown in budget cuts and having to do more with less and still provide top care to patients who are dealing with serious health issues is an almost impossible task.

With all that is going on today, rarely is there a place where healthcare’s best and brightest come together to take on the challenges ahead.

We all know there is power in numbers so we’ve launched a group on LinkedIn called Turnaround Healthcare.

Turnaround Healthcare is a professional community for those who are dedicated to improving the wellbeing for today’s American Healthcare system through better management and implementing best practices.

Outside of healthcare, research tells us that teams working together are more successful and make fewer mistakes than do individuals. These studies show a strong relationship between qualities such as flexibility, adaptability, resistance to stress, cohesion, retention and morale with effective team performance.

Join us!! Healthcare experts, providers and networkers, let’s take our business know-how and entrepreneurial spirit to the healthcare world and mentor them to turnaround.

Is big business looking to cash in on ACO and healthcare reform? Check out this post from the latest FierceHealthcare News Brief...
Can ACO’s make healthcare accountable for all? Check out a NJ Spotlight blog written by Lilo Stainton,...
MAS is Proud to Announce the Launch of our Newsletter Your Medical Billing Office News Information is key and at MAS, we're proud to do...

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Is big business looking to cash in on ACO and healthcare reform?

Bill Baylis — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:00:57 +0000

Check out this post from the latest FierceHealthcare News Brief where reporter Sandra Yin writes: Caritas Christi Health Care is going to the other side. Now that its sale to Steward Health Care System LLC, a newly formed affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is complete, the Caritas system will operate as the largest for-profit healthcare network in New England, WBUR reports.

Cerberus, which doesn’t have experience buying hospitals–and which, perhaps, is best known for buying an equity stake in Chrysler as it was going down the tubes–gets a hospital system that is nearly $500 million in debt.

I am thinking we all should take note here that big investors are putting their capital into healthcare and ACO’s. Perhaps the tides are turning and healthcare if becoming a safe place for investment. With much uncertainty overseas investing in healthcare makeovers can be a safer bet. What are your thoughts?

The article goes on: It looks like Cerberus deal makers are hoping to make money off the healthcare reform by creating a Steward Health Care accountable care organization. Dr. Ralph de la Torre, Caritas CEO, who will stay on, notes that they are “investing in the Caritas hospitals for the long term and building a strong, community-based ACO.”

To read more visit FierceHealthcare post: Cerberus sets its sights on ACO makeover for Caritas

MAS is Proud to Announce the Launch of our Newsletter Your Medical Billing Office News Information is key and at MAS, we're proud to do...

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Get the MAS Profitability Calculator

Bill Baylis — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:37:50 +0000

We’ve had some discussion and outright debate about value of outsourcing and making the decision to keep your billing staff in-house or sending your accounts receivable out.

Now MAS makes it easier to know how profitable your medical billing practice is!

We know that a lot of hospitals have reversed the trend of outsourcing all of their in-patient billing so they can put a concentrated effort on receivables by putting their best and brightest to streamline and maximize that part of the A/R.

At MAS we understand that many doctors and hospitals are on the fence and that the truth is that they are not sure if outsourcing will actually result in increased profits.

To help answer that question, MAS has developed a complimentary Profitability Calculator so you can have concrete proof that using MAS to manage your medical billing will have a positive and profitable impact on your bottom line.

All you have to do is sign up now to get your copy of the MAS Profitability Calculator so you don’t have to keep tackling cash flow alone. Click here to sign up for your copy now.

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Holding on to the Passion

Bill Baylis — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:35:03 +0000

Most of us go into business because we have a passion for what we are doing. We’re good at what we choose as our careers because we invest in training to gain expertise. It doesn’t feel like work because we love what we do.

Doctors are no different. They dedicate many years to studying and training to become specialists. But they don’t spend time and training to become medical billers.

Doctors focus on their true passion-patient care. Too bad that the business end of running a practice and dealing with medical billing and fighting with insurance companies often gets in the way of a doctor and his or her passion.

Luckily for doctor’s my passion is medical billing and managing the administrative end of a medical practice. It might be hard to understand that what I find passionate is helping doctors do what they love to do by taking care of the things that get in the way.

Most doctors don’t realize how much administrative work is involved in being able to take care of their patients by having to deal with the insurance companies and all of the rules and clerical things that come into play in order for them to deliver services.

So what’s the solution? Outsourcing and delegating to Bill Baylis and MAS. Because at the end of the day, my passion is all about helping you focus on your passion–patient care.

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Its Open Season. Obamacare Starts Today.

Bill Baylis — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:47:58 +0000

As reported by Chelsey Levingston in the blog Health Care Reforms Passed Start Today : Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress March 23, also known as the health care reform law, go in effect today, Thursday, Sept. 23.

The provisions now effective are:

• Expansion of the dependent age up to 26 years. Until now, dependents were no longer covered by their parents’ or guardians’ insurance after 19 years of age, or if in college, after 23 years.

• No annual or lifetime dollar limits to amount of money spent on health services.

• No denying coverage to children under 19 years of age for preexisting conditions.

• Coverage for all preventative services with no co-pays.

This is according to Kelly McGivern, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Association of Health Plans, who also said the new rules are expected to increase costs of insurance premiums 5 percent

Are you confused? “I have been in healthcare for 25 years and I am just not sure what it all means.” But I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working through it.

See our popular blog: (first posted August 8, 2010) below as a reminder of what we might be on for.

When it comes to wading the waters of the “New Health Care System“, to quote Chief Brody from the movies JAWS “You’re gonna need a bigger boat!”

Check out Congressman Brady’s New Health Care Chart below. If there was ever a time to hire a Medical Billing company like Medical Account Solutions, it’s right about now!

I’m sure you’ll agree that when you’re face to face with a big shark, it’s no time to go ” Rogue”. Don’t try to do it alone. MAS stands ready to help you navigate your way to firm footing in these uncertain waters.

Let MAS handle the details so your health care organization can stay afloat, because if you don’t move quickly, this “shark” will swallow you whole.

Congressman Brady Introduces “Your New Health Care System” Chart

July, 28, 2010 — nicedeb

Last year, TX Congressman, Kevin Brady’s Health Care Bill Chart was a viral sensation. Today, he unveiled a special visual project highlighting how out of control the expansion of the federal government has become: Please visit the permalink for Congressman, Kevin Brady’s blog.

“

A little sunshine goes a long way”.

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The Cost of Dying: End-of-Life Care. The path of least resistance for a medical blogger.

Bill Baylis — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:24:00 +0000

60 minutes ran a story Sunday night Aug. 6, 2010 (originally published on Nov. 22, 2009). The Cost of Dying: End-of-Life Care . It started with the statement “Every medical study ever conducted has concluded that 100 percent of all Americans will eventually die. This comes as no great surprise, but the amount of money being spent at the very end of people’s lives probably will.” They also reported, that last year, Medicare paid $55 billion just for doctor and hospital bills during the last two months of patients’ lives. That’s more than the budget for the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Education.

This piece created a lot of emotions for me. I don’t think it was an accident that I related to this story, considering that I have been working with colleagues who are experts in the field of eldercare and life coaching.

When I first decided to add this story to my blog; it seemed like an easy angle to write about our role in the debate as medical billers. (If you have any thoughts on what role we play, please comment.) After reporter Steve Kroft asked Dr. Elliott Fisher, a researcher at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy “How do so many people end up in the hospital?” and Fisher replied “It’s the path of least resistance”. I realized I was about to take the same path with this blog–so here goes the harder way.

Perhaps we as a country need to take a step back and as hard as this is to say “decide how we want to die”.

Most Americans don’t like to focus on morbid thing like this, but I have to agree with the point of view held by Dr. Byock who leads a team that treats and counsels patients with advanced illnesses: “This is a hard time in human life. But it’s just a part of life. Collectively, as a culture, we really have to acknowledge that we’re mortal,” Dr. Byock said. “Get over it. And start looking at what a healthy, morally robust way for people to die looks like.”

Dale Carnegie once said “Prepare for the worst that can possibly happen” then “calmly try to improve upon the worst.”

I think that we should put some thought today into how we what to die, to maintain some control of our last days. I have deeper understanding of how working with my end-of-life colleagues could help us live a better life. Attorney Craig Andreoli an estate planning expert, Stephanie Ethe long term insurance specialist and Jean Summit-Riker life coach can help us plan and ask ourselves the hard questions now so that we’re better prepared for death.

Jean Summit-Riker said “Life is a journey we all travel, but the choice to take the path to peace and happiness is yours alone.” I think this is our chance to collectively leave a legacy to our children and grandchildren and show them that it is important to prepare for death and that is possible to do it gracefully.

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Your New Health Care System Chart. That’s one big fish!

Bill Baylis — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:19:55 +0000

When it comes to wading the waters of the “New Health Care System“, to quote Chief Brody from the movies JAWS “You’re gonna need a bigger boat!”

Check out Congressman Brady’s New Health Care Chart below. If there was ever a time to hire a Medical Billing company like Medical Account Solutions, it’s right about now!

Let MAS handle the details so your health care organization can stay afloat, because if you don’t move quickly, this “shark” will swallow you whole.

Congressman Brady Introduces “Your New Health Care System” Chart

July, 28, 2010 — nicedeb

“

A little sunshine goes a long way”.

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Could Streamlining Medical Billing Save $7 Billion a Year? We say yes! MAS has been doing our part for over 20 years.

Bill Baylis — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:51:40 +0000

Here is some food for thought from a recent WSJ Health Spot Blog written by Katherine Hobson entitled Could Streamlining Medical Billing Save $7 Billion a Year?

The post highlights a study by a team from Massachusetts General Hospital and its physician’s organization. They examined the time and costs associated with the third-party billing system used in the U.S and calculated that they could save billions by just streamlining typical administrative inefficiencies.

The analysis, published in Health Affairs and funded by the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, looked at a large, multi-specialty group of doctors that uses the typical fee-for-service model. They looked at what might reduce some of the administrative burden – specifically, the time spent by physicians and office staff doing paperwork and going back and forth with payers.

“Achieving these savings would not require restructuring the basic market-system tenets of our complex health care system through, for example, mandating a single-payer approach,” the researchers write.

Medical billing companies like MAS have been on the front line of streamlining costs since the 1970’s and is a major reason why our industry has taken off since. Over the years. many doctor groups and hospital have taken advantage of our expertise to increase cash flow, including niche billing skills delivered by MAS, such as Workers’ Compensation and No-Fault or Ambulance / Emergency Transport Billing.

Another trend that MAS has seen is for clients to use our billing company on a project basis, as with our Third-Party Follow-Up and Trial Balance Cash Improvement programs. Our team literally becomes an extension of the client’s back office, benefiting them by keeping their office focused on the day to day’s most pressing needs.

What also works well is a contingency billing scale in which healthcare organizations take advantage of a sliding pay schedule that adjusts with need and patient volume. This becomes a win-win when hospital and physician organizations protect bottom line costs while still having a trained staff available when they need them the most.

There is no doubt the battle in streamlining costs in healthcare is a challenging one. When I read a report like this one I get energized and it reminds me that success can be ours! By working together and relying on the various industry segments to do their part, MAS believes that our healthcare industry can save billions. The model is there for us to follow. We look forward to doing our part to streamlining costs– one doctor office, one clinic, one doctor group and one hospital at a time.

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Comparing medical billing companies? If you only focus on price, MAS hopes you don’t get what you pay for.

Bill Baylis — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:05:37 +0000

Believe or not on 90% of our sales calls the first question our potential clients ask is “what do you charge?”

I can understand why most medical offices focus on that “pre-programmed answer” they assume that all medical billing offices are the same. Because they do the same things–don’t they?

I’m here to tell you that they don’t. If you’re considering hiring a medical billing company, I’d like to give you a few different questions to ask, because the truth is ALL MEDICAL BILLING OFFICES ARE NOT ALIKE!

Instead of just asking about price, dig deeper.

Ranging from basic to difficult the answers to these questions will help you figure out if they will give you the attention and client service you deserve.

How long have they been in business? Make sure they have the longevity to grow with you.
Who are their clients? You’ll find out if they are experienced in your area of specialty.
Who are the owners? Understand if they share your strategic vision.
How often will you get to meet with the owners? Confirm how accessible they are if you need to reach them.
Are they givers or takers? Givers will help you grow by sharing information and resources that keep you current and ahead of your competitors. Find out if

they will share what billing software they use with you
the data always yours or theirs
what format can the data be exported in.

How am I doing so far? These questions are a lot tougher than just pricing and we haven’t gotten to any performance questions yet! (I suspect I will get to that in another blog soon).

When it comes to finding the right medical billing company for you, do your research and think about what important qualities you need in a billing agency. If they deliver the right answers to the questions above, price won’t the only factor you base your decisions on.

Remember, not all medical billing companies are the same. Demand the best for your practice. But, if you only focus on price, you will get what you pay for.

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