A Month Without Consultation Codes

It's January and Medicare no Longer Accepting Consultation Codes

I found this great Q & A document from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) regarding the handling of consultation codes.  I thought that other specialists might learn from it also.  I especially liked how they stressed that it is Medicare that has stopped the use of consultation codes, not everyone else.  You should check with your carriers, but it looks like you will still probably bill your consults for everyone but Medicare (which no longer accepts them).

Today is Genius Solutions' Anti-Virus Awareness Day!

Monday, Monday, Monday, and a new year ta' boot.  Have you re-upped your anti-virus subscription?  Have you updated your anti-virus program this week?  Have you scanned your computer recently?  Do you have a good back up, in case things have gone wonky since last week?

I'm here as your friendly hardware support fairy today, to give you these reminders.  Per the hardware boys we've seen a rash of infected looking computers over the last week.  I myself, on my personal computer, do run and regularly update my anti-virus.  I am also very careful about what I click-on and where I visit.  I ended up with a virus over the last month or so that needed to be expunged.  So be aware, there is no such thing as too cautious with your anti-virus.

If I could wave my magic wand and make you instantly all virus free and virus resistant I would.  However, I can't, so all I can do is strongly recommend that you take a look at, update, re-subscribe, and run your anti-virus today.

Be safe, computer vaccinate!

The CA Boot Camp Series Begins Next Week

CAs, be equipped to handle anything!
Chiropractors, this boot camp series is especially for your CAs. Rookies will become trailblazers and wily veterans will be planting a flag for your office at the summit of the insurance regulation mountain.

January 28th
Boot Camp Part 1:
Billing, Coding, & THOMAS Boot Camp
The classes are 4 hrs each.You may choose to take the morning class from 8am-12pm or the afternoon class from 1pm- 5pm.

February 18th
Boot Camp Part 2:
Cash Discounts, Payment Plans, & Treatment Plans Made Easy & Compliant

The class is 6 hrs long & will run from 10am - 5pm.

March 18th
Boot Camp Part 3:
Medicare For Rookies & Veterans Who Want a Refresher

The class is 6 hrs long & will run from 10am - 5pm.

Only $99 each,Per CA!
All classes will be held at Genius Solution’s Warren Training facility.

Click here to download a registration form.

Genius Solutions' January 2010 News Flash is out

Genius Solutions' January 2010 News Flash e-mail was just sent out.  If you missed it, you can click here to view it:  January 2010 e-News Flash.

“Meaningful Use” and “Certified” EHRs: The first round of official documentation is out.

They made their end of the year deadline, releasing information on December 30, 2009.  The CMS document on meaningful use is a 556-page set of proposed regulations for meaningful use.  Its companion piece , from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT), is 136 pages on data standards, implementation, and what they want for an EHR to be certified”.  Both are considered as interim final rules. Both are subject to a 60-day public comment period. HHS then will review the comments and produce final rules sometime this spring.

Did you know?

More than 50 doctors of chiropractic added  WritePad EHR to their offices in 2009?

This may be the year that you want to  implement an EHR solution into your office.  Let us show you how.

For more information: Click Here, or visit www.geniuschiro.com

The Big Healthcare Squeeze

Are you feeling the pressure yet?  PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Health Research Institute just released their well researched and considered opinion of the “Top 10 health industry issues in 2010:  Squeezing the juice out of healthcare” (December 2009).  As they note, the entire healthcare industry is trying to squeeze out “inefficiencies and duplication”, reductions are being tried and made from the top, middle, sideways, and trickling down.  Standing in the shadow of impending healthcare legislation, their first paragraph contains the ultimate in understatements by mentioning that the government is taking an active role in healthcare. 

They offered recommendations for health organizations in three areas: 

1. You simply have to know.  You have to understand the rules, rewards, and data.
2. You will have to engage in the world.  You need to understand, be aware of, and use the new and evolving ways that you can interact with patients, each other, and the industry at large.
3. You will need to strategize, and be flexible about it.  It’s not just the technology that is changing.

Meaningful Use, does anyone know what it means yet?

The Health IT Policy Committee is supposed to be finalizing and publishing the definition of Meaningful Use for EHRs.  This definition is to be publicly released and available for review.  Basically the committee’s goal was to have a working definition, versus the amorphous definition floating around right now.  It was thought that this would happen this month.  After the issuance of the NPRM [notice for proposed rulemaking] for meaningful use happens, there will be a 60-day window for people to review and comment on the proposed definition, followed by review and any revision before a final definition is reached for release.

Genius Garners 2009 READER'S CHOICE AWARD

The readers of DC Products Review Magazine help them select their TOP 100 Products and/or Services of the year.    We are happy to say that Genius Solutions has been selected as one of the winners of our TOP 100 Product and/or Services for 2009.  They even sent us this beautiful TOP 100 seal so that we can show off our status.

We will also be featured in the upcoming January 2010 edition of DC Products Review, and only winners of the TOP 100 awards are included in this special issue.

Thank-you DC Products Review readers!  We are proud to display our seal with you.   

If you would like to know more about DC Products Review or check out the current e-version of their magazine, you can do so at www.dcproductsreview.org .

CA Rookie Boot Camp, Part 1

Hosted by Genius Solutions

Presented by Ted A. Arkfeld, DC, MS, CICE, CPC

CA Rookie Billing, Coding, & THOMAS Boot Camp, Part 1

January 28, 2010
8 am - 12pm

or

1pm - 5pm
@ Genius Solutions
7177 Miller Dr, Warren, MI 48092

Medicare fee cuts delayed until February 28, 2010

Senate passes FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill Dec 19, 2009, which will temporarily halt the present plan to implement Medicare fee cuts of 21.2%, until February 28, 2010. This also delays the updated fee schedule that Medicare was going to put into effect until the end of February as well.

Cahaba GBA has released new payor IDs for individual states

Cahaba GBA has released new payor IDs for individual states.
Alabama 10102
Georgia 10202
Tennessee 10302
More information on these changes here: http://ping.fm/WRtEc
Affected Genius clients who send Medicare claims to multiple states will have to add additional insurance codes per state with the correct payor ID included. Both dTHOMAS and eTHOMAS software are able to handle this change easily. Our technical support team would be happy to provide our clients with recommendations based on their specific needs. We are available Monday through Thursday 8am to 6pm and Friday 8am to 3pm at (800) 645-0955 option 6.