Please join us for a special fundraiser six years in making. MAS is proud to support Transitional Services for New York, Inc. (TSINY) in their efforts to send “Lenny” a Special Olympic hopeful to Greece. TSINY is a not for profit multi-faceted mental health corporation that seeks to enrich the lives of the mentally ill.

Lenny Wilkens, our athlete came to TSINY unable to complete basic, daily functions.  She was so wild that her own family rejected her.  The TSINY staff worked  persistently with Lenny at Hope House, their residence in Queens Village, and offered her the opportunity to exercise, where they noted our athlete’s propensity to excel at Power Lifting and began helping her.

Lenny began participating in the Special Olympics six years ago and has now been chosen to represent the United States in Greece. She will compete in power lifting, a strength sport that includes bench press, squat and the dead lift. Our athlete has enjoyed competing and making friends. We know her life has been enhanced by her participation.

It costs nearly $9,000 to send Lenny to Greece and she must be accompanied by a TSINY staff member. To this end, we are trying to raise $20,000 and greatly appreciate your support. Donations are also being accepted.

Come out and support our efforts to send this great athlete to the Special Olympics. Join us at the TSINY fundraiser luncheon on Thursday, May 12 at the Douglaston Club, Douglaston, NY.

Guest speakers include Dean Mercado of Online Marketing Muscle, who will be presenting  a seminar on mastering social networking and Wendi Caplan-Carroll, Regional Director of Constant Contact who will be presenting on using Constant Contact to promote your business or organization.

We look forward to your support and seeing you there. Click here to register for this fundraiser event now or contact Terry LoPiano directly to purchase tickets or make a donation via phone (718) 746-6647 ext 11 or email at tlopiano@tsiny.org

Related posts:

1. Bill Baylis talks about the state of Medical Billing and Outsourcing In a short video, Medical Account Solutions President, Bill Baylis...
2. Is big business looking to cash in on ACO and healthcare reform? Check out this post from the latest FierceHealthcare News Brief...
3. 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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Bill recommends that hospitals focus on doing what they do best, and let others—experts—take care of the rest!  Click here now to watch the video on the front page of the MAS website!

A special thanks to the HBA for all of their support!!

About MAS: Is there a certain area in your medical billing process which is slowing you down or eating into profits?  You no longer have to let an unmet billing need undermine your strength and efficiency.  With its team of talented medical billing experts, Medical Account Solutions (MAS) can help your healthcare organization identify and focus on your unique problem and fill the void to keep your billing processes running smoothly.

Related posts:

1. 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...
2. Is big business looking to cash in on ACO and healthcare reform? Check out this post from the latest FierceHealthcare News Brief...

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1. Make sure to collect a patient’s copay prior to their visit–this may seem obvious or perhaps “no big deal”, however, some insurer’s payment is the copay alone and no further reimbursement will be made. Failure to secure this cash upfront could mean that you will not see another dime for this visit.
2. Check to make sure a patient is truly eligible with their insurer. Some patients may not even be aware that their coverage has been canceled, others may try to be seen without insurance. It is too late to collect payment once the patient is out of the office.
3. Check to see if an authorization is necessary for this patient’s visit. Insurers are routinely making policy changes that you may not have realized; all it takes is a quick phone call to be certain.
4. Get a copy of the patient’s insurance card, front and back. This is your insurance to make sure there weren’t any keystroke errors during intake, or, to be certain that there isn’t a different phone number for a patient’s particular policy.
5. Check prior visits to be certain there are no outstanding balances due. Perhaps the patient owes coinsurance or a deductible has been applied to your visit. A patient is more likely to pay their bill when they are standing in front of you, as opposed to when they receive a bill in the mail.

You might think that these steps are all obvious, however, I assure you they are not. Furthermore, one may not realize these are necessary steps, unless you are familiar with the billing process. Your front-end staff is not only there as a smiling face to greet patients, they should also be looked upon as a conduit between the patient and the biller. If steps taken during intake are done haphazardly, your bottomline will be affected. Share these with all members of your staff, so that you can feel confident that you are maximizing your collections.

It’s also important for you to keep an eye on unpaid claims and make sure that your medical billing is as profitable as it should be. If you’re not sure where to start, I suggest using the MAS Profitability Calculator to make sure your office isn’t losing money. Just sign up for the your complimentary copy of the MAS Profitability Calculator from the home page of the MAS site now*.

*We respect your privacy and will NEVER rent or sell your personal information… Ever!

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For most of its 24 years in the healthcare field, MAS has focused most of our talents working with hospital and clinics.  When MAS decided it was time to lend our talent and expand our client base toward doctor groups and individual practitioners, we knew that there we some misconceptions about outsourcing.  We knew we would have to help to change the culture of what outsourcing really does.

At MAS we consider ourselves a “medical billing company”.  Medical billing companies do much more then offer the choice of keeping your billing staff in-house or sending your accounts receivable out.  Hospitals have been using medical billing agencies since the 1970′s.  They have learned to use each agency to complement their own expertise and weaknesses.

For instance, 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.

It’s a good policy because it puts them in control of their own destiny.  They can directly manage the bread and butter of how a hospital will pay their payroll and important bills.  However,  most hospitals are smart enough to know they can’t do it all.  For some hospitals, it’s best to send their no-fault billing to a qualified billing company because of the  legal knowledge neededd to get these claims paid.

Companies like MAS are looking to change the face of outsourcing to let doctors and doctor groups know that its not all or nothing!  We are here to help grow your business.

When you learn to properly delegate the areas that you aren’t strong in, you can focus on your strengths and leverage your team where they can produce the best results for you!

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Time management experts all agree that one of the most important skills needed to manage the non renewing resource of time, is to master the art of delegation.

In order to improve your medical office’s productivity it’s important to learn how to delegate those skills that aren’t your area of expertise. That way you can focus on your core business-seeing patients.

In my opinion the medical offices who successfully delegate or outsource their medical billing are more productive and profitable. These offices are also more profitable because by outsourcing their medical billing to a company like MAS,they are able to benefit from our expertise as profit recovery specialists.

So now you’re thinking “trust someone else to bill my patients?” I ask “Why Not?”

When you “delegate” your medical billing and profit recovery needs to MAS, you are a part of the process all the way.

You always have access to your information, you know where your billing is at all times and because we make sure we understand your specific practice—everything is customized to you. The key is that you won’t be spending your time to do it, we’ll take care of it for you.

Mastering the art of outsourcing or delegation will help you streamline your business and save time and money.

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Well MAS is here to tell you that medical billing is so much more than just submitting codes to insurance companies and following up to receive payment checks. In fact, we’re more than just medical billers, we are profit recovery specialists. We work proactively as an extension of your team to manage your revenue and cash flow so that you can focus on what’s important–patient care.

MAS understands that while it’s important to get the codes right, it’s also very important to remember the human conditions behind the codes. With our team of talented medical billing experts, Medical Account Solutions (MAS) can help your health care organization identify and focus on your unique problem filling in  the void to keep your billing processes running smoothly.

We look at monthly trends to see if there are any areas that we can help you improve and streamline your processes to maintain good cash flow. Our problem solving approach means we work harder to make sure that your patient’s important procedures are reimbursed because we know that denied claims hurts them and you.

Why do we care so much?  It’s not just about the codes and the numbers. Simply medical billing is fun to us.(when was the last time you heard that). We enjoy fighting on your behalf with the insurance company”s to get claims paid. Going the extra mile to get rejections over turn and doing our part to take the pressure off a growing medical group.When MAS processes your medical billing, we know we’re boosting your productivity so you can see more patients. We know that when we get it right, it’s a win for you and a win for your patients.

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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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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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Nothing is perfect, but if you were to talk to a friend or family member overseas about their universal healthcare system, you realize that we have what people in other countries wish they had!

Of the various clients I have been blessed to have throughout the years, I particularly enjoy doing work for large, inner-city hospitals.   Often times, these clients have a large mental health, obstetrical and renal failure population, among others.  When I see this type of billing, I think of the lives behind it–the mentally ill patients who are able to lead a better life due to the help they receive, the babies who are born healthy because of pre-natal care and the dialysis patients who are buying more time with their families until a kidney becomes available.

Their lives literally depend upon the fiscal stability of their community hospital!  I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get their claims paid because I know that I am helping to keep these hospitals fiscally sound so they can be there for those patients who need them the most!

Recently, we witnessed the closing of a fine institution who served New York City for so many years, that they treated survivors of the Titanic!!  St. Vincent’s Hospital was a beloved fixture in the lower Manhattan community that serviced families from the cradle to the grave.  Its closing left a hole in the healthcare system of New York City that cannot be fixed.  It makes me terribly sad to think there have patients who have suffered, and perhaps even lost their lives, due to the shutdown of this hospital.  Would things have been different if they had properly utilized all available resources?

Numbers don’t lie.  According to a 2006 Newsweek article, there are approximately $60 billion in unpaid medical bills per year! Our work, of supplementing an over-burdened hospital staff, helps to keep hospitals functioning in our communities so they can continue to serve the patients who walk through their doors everyday!

I have watched the struggles of New York’s inner-city hospitals now for many years and have grown increasingly frustrated as they resist outsourcing their medical billing to an agency, such as MAS.  Surely they can do it themselves, why do they need to pay an outside company to do what their internal staff can?  Perhaps because, according to the CDC, in 2006 there were 119.2 million emergency department visits alone.

Yes, we want to be leaders in the medical billing industry but my company and I focus on the bigger picture. We know that our efforts and collections help to secure and  maintain our cutting-edge American healthcare system.  With this in mind, I believe our contributions at MAS could just be a “higher calling”!

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We need jobs here first!  I could never understand why so many of our jobs have been sent over seas, especially service sector jobs.  I have no doubt that we can get the job done better here at home, with more impact to the client’s bottomline, and, with greater customer satisfaction.  Cheaper does not always mean better!

We just feel its good policy to shop locally.  At MAS, we use our local pharmacist and food market.  The owners and workers of these businesses know us, they know our likes and dislikes and they do the little things that keep us coming back again and again.  It’s a great investment in our community to buy in our own backyard when it makes sense.  American’s know what they want when it comes to service and it makes sense to me to turn to our own backyard when hiring a service oriented company.

We at MAS welcome the challenge to prove why Long Island ”Rural Sourcing” is the way to go with your medical billing needs!

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