• 24117 W. 103rd Street, Suite L, Naperville, IL 60564
  • info@med-miles.com
  • (888) 598-9181
MED-Miles LLCMED-Miles LLC
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • OUR SERVICES
    • Complete Revenue Cycle Management
    • Billing Audit Services
    • Credentialing/Enrollment Services
    • Patient Services
    • EMR/PMS Consultancy Services
  • WHY MED-MILES
  • SPECIALITIES
  • Blog
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • OUR SERVICES
    • Complete Revenue Cycle Management
    • Billing Audit Services
    • Credentialing/Enrollment Services
    • Patient Services
    • EMR/PMS Consultancy Services
  • WHY MED-MILES
  • SPECIALITIES
  • Blog
  • CONTACT US

TeleHealth

  • Home
  • Avoid Telehealth Denials With These 4 Tips
  • TeleHealth
Telehealth Denials

Avoid Telehealth Denials With These 4 Tips

Med Miles LLC2022-01-05T09:30:18+00:00

The healthcare system has suffered a lot due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic also transformed the current working of the health system and directed towards a way in which they can improve their ability to tackle the upcoming challenges. 

Telehealth services are one of the positive outcomes of this pandemic. The mandatory social distancing during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic makes it difficult for the patient and the physician to plan an interactive session.

At that time telehealth services are the only way to have a safer interaction between the patient and the physician.

Whether it is traditional or telehealth the denial rates have always been a problem for the health care service provider as it significantly reduces the revenues which impact their ongoing operations.

Ways To Reduce Telehealth Denials 

In this article, we will explore some ways in which you can reduce the telehealth denials and get maximum revenues.

Check the Coverage

Before starting the treatment you need to check the insurance coverage of the patient. The private insurance company offers coverage for telehealth services but it also depends on their policies. 

Because it depends on the policy by the insurance companies then it is essential to verify insurance coverage by calling the payer.

Moreover, the requirement to document a visit also varies. So again the best way to check the coverage and documentation of the visit is to call the service provider and ask for the complete details.

Fulfill the Clinical Documentation

Proper clinical documentation is essential to get the reimbursement for that purpose you practice needs to fulfill all the gaps.

If there are some gaps in the clinical documentation like improper information and any error in the coding then it can lead to a claim denial so make sure that you check all the documents before submitting it.

Proper Training of Your Staff

It is essential to give your staff proper training especially on documentation which is the foundation of any billing process. The staff should be aware of the following process:

Like verbal consent before making an appointment.

And to make sure that what kind of communication medium is used for the interaction, like it can be a video call or an audio call.

They should also note the total length of the meeting when it started and when it ended and what was the purpose of the meeting.

Moreover, the location of the patient and the service provider at the time of interaction should also be noted, and which platform they used during communication. All these details will help your staff member to document the whole meeting appropriately.

Use Appropriate Coding

Coding is one of the main reasons behind the higher denial rates not only for traditional medical billing but also for telehealth claims.

The requirements for the telehealth services coding and billing varies and most of the time the billing staff was not aware of the requirements and regulations issued by the insurance companies. And this was one of the biggest reasons behind the higher denial rates.

To minimize the coding errors the health service provider should:

  • Provide proper training to the coding staff to manage the payer requirements and take a deep look at the proper coding of telehealth services and be aware of the latest regulations and trends.
  • Educate your staff members about the coding guidelines specifically related to covid-19.
  • A proper sequence of diagnosis and treatment should also manage as it is part of appropriate coding. 

Clean Claim Submission

Before submitting the claim make sure that all the essential documentation is correct and there is no error in coding. Make sure to submit the claim on time as the insurance companies only process those claims that are submitted timely.

Track Denial Rates

Make sure that your practice is consistently tracking the denial rates. For most health care systems denial rates are normal but frequent denial rates are the indication that something is wrong in the system and a proper investigation is required.

After the proper assessment of the issue, the follow-up team can provide the proper documentation and make the case to get reimbursement. 

Covid-19 is completely changing the operating system of health care industries. While the adoption of telehealth services is not easy at first instance, challenges are part of the advent of any new system. Who knows that in the coming day’s people prefer to get regular check-ups at the comfort of their homes.

Throughout the article, we discussed how higher denial rates can cause serious damages to your revenues and how you can avoid it to get maximum reimbursement.

Apart from these tips, you can also outsource your billing activity to a professional billing solution company as they have a highly skilled team that manages many other health services providers’ RCM.

Med-Miles is one of the top billing solution companies. We have been serving the healthcare industry for almost eight years. We are focused on learning and implementing the latest ideas to achieve the best results for our clients. Call us at (888) 598-9181 for more information. 

Read more...
Telehealth

All You Need To Know About Telehealth

Med Miles LLC2021-02-22T10:23:10+00:00

Due to the rise in technology, hospitals are now implementing telemedicine to reach more patients specifically in remote areas. 

In case if you never heard of telehealth before the coronavirus pandemic, you probably know about it now. Healthcare providers are trying to move as many of their appointments to virtual means as possible. While telehealth options have been around for years, it is the first time they have been introduced on such a large scale.

Telehealth has changed into a complex integrated service that is used in hospitals, homes, private physician offices, and other healthcare facilities. 

Are you wondering about how providers diagnose systems through video calls? We’ve got you covered!

In this blog, we answer some of your frequently asked questions about Telehealth, what this actually means to your practice. Let’s have a look.

What Is Telehealth?

In simple terms, telehealth is known as virtual care. With the use of technology, it is the delivery of health-related services and information. Technology has changed the way patients receive medical care. 

With telehealth, patients can get access to the healthcare providers outside the physical walls of the consulting room.

Moreover, it is the opportunity to use the latest technologies to provide medical services to the patients in their comfort zone such as homes. As defined, it is the use of audio and visual technology to provide services remotely.

What Is The Purpose Of Telehealth? 

Telehealth has a lot of purposes. Here we highlight some of them;

  • One of the main purposes of telehealth is to give healthcare access to those who are living in rural areas, who have limited time, mobility, and transportation options. 
  • Also, it improves coordination of care communication between the healthcare team and patient members.
  • Allow getting access to medical specialists.
  • Provides support for self-management of healthcare. 

Why Do We Need Telehealth? 

Telehealth today is changing the way providers provide care to their patients. Take a look at these amazing facts:

Do you know that around one in 10 physicians practice in rural areas in the U.S? As one in five Americans live in rural areas, which is why only 10% of physicians practice in these areas.

However, it becomes more challenging to access care in rural parts of the country. Also, it requires patients to travel long distances in order to see the nearest care provider. They have to wait in long lines or delay treatment if they don’t have access to care.

Now, with telehealth, rural health care providers can ease the burden on rural health care providers by helping them see more patients in less time. In rural areas, Americans also don’t have to travel to their provider, who is often a few miles away, to get care, helping them stay on top of their healthcare needs.

In most cases, telehealth visits can be resolved with a simple prescription. According to the statistics, many patients don’t need to be examined by a healthcare provider in person in order to get a prescription. 

With the help of telehealth, patients can describe their symptoms over the phone or video. Whereas the doctor sends a prescription to its pharmacy. As prescriptions sometimes may not be necessary at all. 

It is now easy for patients to esteemed medical experts by telehealth, with the ability to connect patients in rural areas.

This is why we need to switch on telehealth, as it increases access to esteemed medical experts with the ability to connect patients in rural areas.

What Types Of Telehealth Are Available?  

Telehealth is not about providing virtual care with one singular method. But, there are several types of telehealth that can be given by a medical professional. It is important to note that not all medical providers offer telehealth. 

Besides these, options like medical technology and advanced healthcare continue to grow.

  • Live Consultations

Live consultations are sometimes held over video conferencing. It is a two–way interaction between a patient and a provider by using audiovisual telecommunications technology. Moreover, video devices can include peripheral cameras, video conferencing units, or web cameras. That means those computers which have video and microphone functions can be used. 

Wondering where it can be used more often?

It is used for consults, check-ins, and health education or training.

  • Mobile Health

It is a relatively new side of technology-enabled healthcare. It is also a delivery of healthcare services and personal health data with the use of mobile devices like cell phones and tablets.

  • Remote Patient Monitoring

For the collection of medical and other forms of health data from individuals of one location and for transmitting this data to other locations, remote patient monitoring can be used for the health assessment and recommendations. 

With the help of this service, healthcare providers can track healthcare data when it is released to home or care facilities while reducing readmission rates.

  • Store-and-Forward

Store-and-forward means the use of digital images, documents, and pre-recorded videos for the electronic transmission of medical information. As compared to a real-time visit the provider can access the data after collecting also he can include various communication tools such as secure email. 

Is Telehealth Secure?

Due to privacy concerns, many people are now worried about the security of their virtual visits. For security, it totally depends on the services that your provider is using. For example, if your doctor is a part of a larger hospital network, they might then use some appropriate system or may contract with a major telehealth provider that is more secure. 

But, as compared to smaller practices, they use simple virtual meeting software such as skype that has fewer privacy restrictions. However, It is necessary to ask before about the privacy policies of the services that your providers ask you to use. Also, patients should ask the healthcare provider to implement high-security features such as encrypted data transmission. 

Does Insurance Pay for Telehealth? 

That will depend on your insurance, your provider, and the telehealth system they use. Usually, your telehealth services provided directly by your doctor or hospital are more likely to be covered, though not always.

As long as it is not covered, the patient may choose to pay for the entire visit out of pocket.

What Are Some Advantages Of Telehealth?

There are many benefits of telehealth One of them is to protect both patients and providers from the transmission of germs especially in the duration of COVID. 

It also helps patients in saving their transportation costs. Plus it also reduces the time spent in waiting rooms and lines.

Another advantage of telehealth is providing more flexibility to providers to set their own schedules and schedule appointments when they feel more convenient. 

What Are Some Disadvantages Of Telehealth?

With a lot of benefits telehealth also has drawbacks because some visits need to be completed in person only they cannot be treated by virtual care. 

There are some situations where seeing a doctor is necessary. For example;

  • Suspected Fractures, where an x-ray is important.
  • Problems that may need MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, or other imaging.
  • Complicated health issues
  • And prescriptions for a controlled substance like Xanax, Adderall, or Oxycodone. 

Apart from these reasons, there can also be issues of access as not everyone has smartphones and devices or a stable internet connection that is necessary for video consultations. The inconsistency of insurance coverage for the patients and reimbursements for the providers can cause headaches.  

Before getting a telehealth service you need to make sure of your insurance coverage.

Last but not the least, protecting medical information is also very challenging for healthcare providers. 

If you need to talk to your doctor right away, chances are you’ll make your visit virtually through telehealth services. Keep these FAQs in mind to make sure your visit is covered by insurance and your privacy is safe. If you still find any confusion then call our experts. Our experts will resolve all your queries in the right way.

Read more...

Categories

  • Accounts Receivable Management
  • Blogs
  • CMS
  • CPT Code
  • CyberSecurity
  • Denial Management
  • E-prescribing
  • EHR
  • Electronic Medical Record
  • EMR
  • Guides
  • Health
  • Medical Billing
  • Medical Claims
  • Medical Coding
  • Medical Credentialing
  • Medical Practice
  • Medical Transcription
  • Medication Compliance
  • News
  • Non-Compliance
  • Patient Collections
  • Patient Experience
  • Patient Insurance
  • Patient Scheduling
  • pharmacy billing
  • Practice Management Software
  • Price Transparency Audit
  • RCM
  • TeleHealth
  • TeleMedicine
  • Updates

Recent Posts

  • The Ultimate Guide To Benefits of Revenue Cycle Management
  • 5 Amazing Tricks To Enhance Patient Experience
  • Answered: Your Most Burning Questions about Cardiology Billing
  •  New Updates For Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Sick And Tired Of Doing RCM The Old Way? Read This!

Tags

Cardiology Billing Cardiology Billing and Coding Claims Scrubbing Claims Scrubbing Process Dental Billing Dental Billing Company Dental Billing Provider Electronic Medical Record Electronic prescribing Healthcare Healthcare Security Healthcare Software Health Insurance Heathcare importance of patient compliance in house medical billing Insurance Insurance Claim Scrubbing medical billing Medical Billing Companies Medical Billing Company Medical Billing Provider Medical Billing services medical claims Medical Claim Scrubbing Software medical coding Medical Coding Services Medical Credentialing Medical Practice medical revenue medical services Medical Transcription Services Medicare Outdated Healthcare Systemth outsourcing for medical billing Outsourcing Medical Transcription Patient care Payment Posting Pediatric Practice Pharmacy billing Pharmacy billing and Reimbursements Practice Management Software Price Transparency Audit RCM Revenue Cycle Management
FacebookLinkedin
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Services
  • Why MED-Miles
  • Specialities
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
© 2012 MED-Miles | All rights ® Designed & Developed By AxeTech Solutions