5010 & ICD-10: Are They the Good Fight?

picture fun from icanhascheezburger.com

I could just have easily written this comic for what many of you might consider "unnecessary paperwork", but alas it is all a necessary evil in today's health care landscape and the best I can do is inform and inject some humor. So let's chat for a moment.

Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011

picture fun from icanhascheezburger.com

Signed into law on December 23, 2011 (right before the holiday hiatus in Washington D.C.) the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011  extends, amongst other things, the 27.4% Medicare cut that was once again hanging over your heads.  The extension is for two months- January and February of 2012.  The President is trying to get everyone to pass a measure that would stall this again, for the rest of the year.  There are several concerns:

Reminder Part 1 Arkfeld's Live, New User, WritePad Training

Reminder... 
If you want to be up and running with WritePad, you need to Register now!

 
You can register for either January 26 or March 15 but you need to Register now!  

5010: Working Hard to Serve You

5010 is here!  

You may have noticed as you’ve called in over the past month that our phone lines have been really busy.  Where you were able to get straight through to support in the fall, now you are finding yourself back up at the front desk to leave a message.  As much as you are concerned about 5010, ICD-10, Medicare payments, stimulus payments etc., we are concerned about each and every one of the thousands of you.  We appreciate your patience as we all (customers, vendors, clearinghouses and payors) work to migrate claims over to the 5010 format.  We are furiously returning calls as quickly as possible.  We are working very closely with BCBSM here in Michigan and with many other clearing houses around the country to work through the many items that come up daily as everyone makes the 5010 switch.

What can you do to help in the meantime?

• Please continue to be patient and please don’t pull your hair out.  Know that when we get back with you we will spend the same love and care on you as we’ve been spending on your office neighbors.  We love you all. You are all our favorites.
• If you have more than one question or call in to us from your office please make sure that when we talk with you that you have those questions ready to go, so that we can address your office’s concerns at the same time, rather than one question and one person at a time.

Can you help yourself while you are waiting?

• If you listen to our phone prompts at the beginning of your call we have made some changes to help direct you to the most common answers you need at this time.
• Also, don’t forget to check in on the blog, twitter, etc. anything new or hot that comes up gets posted there. (Including links to the First Friday of the month call- in case you missed it.)
• Questions about 5010? We definitely have a page for that.  There is a link on each web siteand blog, including this note- click here!

Don’t forget…

• You can also send in a question via Genius Mail securely from inside of eTHOMAS.
• There are also videos and resources available inside of eTHOMAS by going to Genius on the Web.

Dr. Arkfeld's Live WritePad Training- Part 1 for New Users

Be up and running with WritePad now!

 
Please Mark Your Calendar for either January 26 or March 15 and Register now.  (Our past WritePad classes have filled up fast we suggest you register early.)

Make sure you have the tools you need in time to prepare to qualify for the 2012 stimulus money.

There are many new WritePad users so Dr. Arkfeld has scheduled new WritePad Training Part 1 classes, to accommodate you.  This class is free for those who have purchased their WritePad systems and Dr. Arkfeld's training since November 1, 2011, and who are just starting or have not yet completed their WritePad training.

Happy New Year!

Remember- Genius will be closed Jan 2-3.  Have a Happy Holiday!

5010 Updates for BSBSM MI & All Others

Don't forget to visit our Genius 5010 web page for all of the updates and most current information for your clearing house and state.  New information is being added, updated, and amended daily.

Genius had a conversation with BSBSM of Michigan and received these updates just this week.  Check them out to make sure that you will be able to smoothly transition your billing over the rest of this month and into the new year.

December e-News Flash from Genius

In case you missed the December e-mail that was sent out last week from us, here it is.

If you did not receive it, but we have your current e-mail on file, check your "junk mail" and un-junk us.  If it's not in your mail box or your junk mail box, then we may not any e-mail address for you (or at least not an active or current one).  Next time you're on the phone with us, update your e-mail or you can send in your e-mail with your office id or phone #  to newsletter2010@geniussolutions.com and we'll make sure to update your information.

In the mean time - have a great holiday season!

The Best Presents

Sometimes the best presents are the ones we allow ourselves.

Christmas time is special.  No matter what your religious affiliations (or not) are, no matter how much you love or hate shopping or snow, Christmas time is the best time of the year.  It’s a shame that it has become so commercialized, politicized, and contentious in word and symbol that it has become nearly ostracized.  For such a civilized society we often aren’t very civilized. 

Civilization is people coming together and working together for common sustaining goals and purposes.  One of civilizations definitions is listed as “intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement”.  It sounds a lot like people coming together and improving to become a better mankind.  Of late, rather than coming together at Christmas, people are using it as an excuse to wage a battle to separate, rather than unify, and to cause us to become uncivilized. 

The 2011 Genius Holiday Schedule

Yes- I needed an excuse to post another holiday puppy.

Here is the Genius Holiday Schedule for the rest of this year (2011)...

Genius will be closed for the holidays:

Dec 26-27 &  Jan 2-3.

WritePad Training: Practical Clinical Application

Dr. Ted Arkfeld will guide you through on how to select the most appropriate Evaluation and Management (E/M) Code by choosing the correct Workflow in the WritePad system. 

December 15 @ Genius Solutions in Warren, MI.

You must choose either the 9 am-noon or the 1-4 pm time slot when registering.  

For more information and to register for this event, click here.

The Genius 5010 Zone

Below is the 5010 link you've been waiting for.  This is where you need go to set up your THOMAS systems for 5010.  This area is evolving check back for continued updates.  

• The Genius 5010 Zone