Physical Therapy Billing Software and Its Importance

Physical Therapy Billing Software and Its Importance

Physical therapy billing software can be a critical component of physical therapy management and allows your entire physical therapy billing process to become streamlined and profitable.

Nitin Chhoda updates practitioners of the latest billing process information so as to have a steady and continuous stream of income.

physical therapy billing Healthcare organizations will need to be more effective, cost efficient and productive in the future to not only survive, but also to maintain positive cash flows.

Physical therapy billing is a process that manages claims processing, payment and revenue generation.

It entails using technology to keep track of the claims process at every point of services, so that the healthcare provider can follow the process and address any issues, allowing a steady stream of revenue.

Elements in Physical Therapy Billing

Time management and efficiency play large elements in physical therapy, and a practitioner’s choice of an EMR can be largely centered on how their physical therapy billing is implemented. Some of the processes handled with physical therapy billing software include:

  • Streamlined scheduling that allows your office to verify patient’s coverage and benefits before the visit. This helps you in deciding whether to use the patient’s insurance coverage or ask for another source of payer.
  • Faster payments through the check in/out process via patient and medical insurers
  • Enhanced compliance with up to date standards so that your practice stays current with HIPAA rules, regulatory compliance, and implementation deadlines.  Updated information is automatically downloaded and is free.

Managing the revenue cycle will bring more visibility, make compliance simpler, and make the physical therapy billing team more productive.

Integrated Softwarephysical therapy billing software

New physical therapy EMRs provide revenue cycle management solutions that are very successful at improving efficiency.

With a fully integrated and mobile EMR and physical therapy billing, you can reduce the entry of patient information to a single occurrence, and it will happen when the patient picks up the tablet computer and enters their information.

Physical Therapy Management Best Practices Using EMR System

Physical Therapy Management Best Practices Using EMR System

Adopting a multi-faceted approach to running a physical therapy EMR practice allows more streamlined and productive business. Nitin Chhoda shares how an effective scheduling, documentation, billing and marketing, with the help of EMR, are very important in a private practice in order for the business to survive.

EMRPractitioners are also business entrepreneurs and, in most cases, their practices are for profit enterprises, but they are not recognized or treated as such.

Below are the most important factors that practitioners should prioritize so that their businesses will become an effective and profitable one.

Scheduling

For every open appointment slot of each day, there should be a patient coming in to the clinic. Proper management is necessary for this to be achieved. Electronic medical records system is the latest physical therapy software system that organizes and summarizes all appointments or schedule not only for the day, but also for the week or month depending on the user’s preference.

With technological advances like electronic medical records, scheduling has evolved so that filling slots is easier and tracking patient visits becomes automated.

Documentation

The responsible physical therapy management staff must take the time to look over the schedule and pull the correct records each day. An organized physical therapy documentation can be automated and streamlined with the use of physical therapy EMR technology.

Billing

Having a proper and correct physical therapy billing and coding with the help of EMR are keys to successful practice operation. The collection of payments from the payer, whether directly from the patient or their health insurance company depend on this part.

Marketing

Marketing is also important and patients are part of the EMR system. Giving them the best care and service will automatically encourage them to bring referrals. It is important that current or even previous patients should be part of the healthcare practice management plan. EMR system

The plan can be easily implemented using a physical therapy software like EMR, where everything is updated and streamlined. Without good marketing, it will be hard to keep your schedule full.

By realizing the important connections between the four major parts of a practice, physical therapy management can easily look for ways to improve, making the practice more efficient.

Utilizing EMR for physical therapy services will greatly help as most of the common tasks found in these approaches can be integrated to this physical therapy documentation software.

How an EMR Can Lead to Your Personal Freedom

How an EMR Can Lead to Your Personal Freedom

Implementing the EMR technology is essential in the 21st century for clinicians to convert to digital records, submit reimbursement claims and get paid.

EMR expert, Nitin Chhoda, was one of the first to use the software and is sharing his expertise on the many ways an EMR contributes to a practitioner’s personal freedom.

EMRTime is money and an EMR provides savings for clinicians on both fronts.

Verifying Insurance Coverage

From the moment a client makes an appointment to the moment the patient encounter is completed, an EMR is on the job, increasing efficiency and boosting productivity.

An EMR has the tools to verify insurance information prior to the client’s visit, providing practitioners with the information needed to formulate a treatment plan based on insurance limitations, coverage and eligibility.

Fewer Hours and More Money

A fully integrated EMR includes a secure patient portal where individuals can complete a health history online. That information is available prior to the client’s visit, allowing clinicians to familiarize themselves with the patient’s problems before they arrive. The data can decrease the wait times for patients and practice owners by up to 47 percent and reduces time spent gathering information in the exam room.

The information gathered with an EMR allows practice owners to see more patients during the normal work day and manage treatment options, without the need to stay late or conduct extended hours.

Clinicians have more free time and the funds to enjoy personal activities with friends and family.

Anytime Access

Patient records are updated instantly with an EMR, anytime the client’s information is retrieved. The systems provide a single resource for all aspects of a practice’s management needs. The records can be accessed from multiple locations and by numerous medical professionals to coordinate care.

If a patient requires treatment in an ER, the on-call physician has all the information needed to assess and treat the patient, without the need to contact the client’s physician.

Space and Time

Office supplies represent a major expense for practices. An EMR saves everything digitally, eliminating the need for paper documents, files, folders and all the related products needed to manage a mountain of paperwork.

EMRs require a fraction of the space needed for file cabinets to house paper records. There’s no need to search and sift through dozens of documents to locate a specific paper and the technology eliminates misplaced files.

Errors and Reimbursementselectronic medical records

With an EMR, reimbursement claims are submitted electronically, in real time. The technology contains the ability to identify errors, mistakes and potential difficulties with claims before they’re transmitted.

A complete record of each transaction is maintained, along with patient balances, and payments can be received in as little as 10 days.

Electronic medical record provides the tools for clinicians to work smarter, not harder. They save time through increased efficiency and productivity within all departments, and work to identify errors and mistakes that can virtually eliminate denials and rejections. The result is that clinicians have increased revenues and the freedom to reap the benefits of their labor.

Medical Billing And Coding Outsourced

Medical Billing And Coding Outsourced

Medical billing and coding are indeed a very complex subject.  It is important to analyze whether your practice will need an in-house medical biller and coder or have it outsourced.

Nitin Chhoda gives some factors to consider in order to guide your physical therapy practice when it comes to your medical billing needs.

medical billing and codingOutsourcing often increases efficiency, especially in technical fields like accounting and medical billing and coding.

Within a single office, a number of practices can be serviced by a handful of highly skilled professional medical billers and coders.

They can focus all of their resources and attention on efficiency and a system that works. At a medical clinic, the primary focus is often the patients, as it should be.

Reasons to Outsource Your Medical Billing and Coding

Here are some very good reasons that a practice should consider outsourcing medical billing and coding. For the most part, the decision will be financial. But to determine whether or not it will be worthwhile for your practice to outsource can be so complex that identifying key reasons to outsource will help.

You’re New

New clinicians or health care providers have a whole host of things to worry about. How do you maintain a steady stream of patients?

Does your practice have the in-house testing capabilities necessary for the needs of the community? How do you balance the business side with patient care? How many hours per day should you be seeing patients?

Probably the top concern is how your patients are doing, how they feel about you, and whether or not you’re helping them. Managing a business at the same time as you’re learning what it means to run a private practice can be overwhelming.

Staff Turnover is High

If you are handling in-house medical billing and coding, but have to hire a new biller or coder regularly, your practice will suffer.

The learning curve for medical billing and coding is unforgiving and even a skilled medical billing and coding professional is going to be slow to start as they figure out your particular system. For practices that can’t seem to keep medical billing and coding staff members, a consistent service from elsewhere will be more efficient.

Inefficiency is Obvious medical billing and coding oursourced

Outsourcing has a couple of major benefits, and one of them is that rejections and denials are usually decreased when you outsource medical billing and coding.

If you are experiencing problems with collections and your rejection and denial rate is high, it may be time to consider giving the job to a service that specializes in getting claims accepted.

You Don’t Want to Focus on Billing

Chances are, you don’t want to think about medical billing and coding. As critical as getting paid is to the health of your practice, if you became a doctor because you want to help people feel better, billing is probably an annoying part of your job.

Not to mention the fact that an incredible amount of tech savvy and skill is required to make your medical billing and coding system efficient and effective. Many clinicians decide that the billing side is the part they don’t want to know about – they’d prefer to let someone else worry about the medical billing and coding courses so they can continue to provide a service to the community.

Electronic Medical Records System Streamlines PT Management

Electronic Medical Records System Streamlines PT Management

Nitin Chhoda shows how physical therapy businesses through the use of electronic medical records, can streamline their practice and drastically improve their productivity and cash flow with relative ease.

electronic medical recordsMore and more hospitals and doctors’ offices are storing patient data using electronic medical records, which has allowed physical therapy management and patient care to become more streamlined, productive and profitable for the medical practice itself.

Improve Efficiency

As the field of medicine continues to get competitive, having the ability to cut costs and improve efficiency are keys to the overall success of a medical practice.

Physical therapy management is now able to implement the benefits of utilizing electronic medical records through their business.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Having the ability to identify where unknown problems have crept into office procedures. Physical therapy billing is quite complex. By using electronic medical records to do the work for you, the chance of errors occurring is considerably lowered, which allows the practice to process payments much faster resulting in more cash flow.
  • Electronic medical records place a wide range of data at a therapist’s fingertips to evaluate physical therapy management staffing needs and deploy clinicians where they’re most effective.
  • Paperwork is destined to become obsolete with electronic medical records that store documents digitally. This will increase productivity and customer service because all medical information is easily accessible

The Futureelectronic medical records system

Electronic medical records are revolutionizing medical treatment by putting critical decision support systems in the hands of skilled healthcare professionals, giving them the information they need to make timely decisions.

The future of healthcare will continually keep getting better with the intelligent application of electronic medical records technology, a patient-centered focus and a dedication of skilled medical professionals.

Electronic Medical Records –  How to Implement?

Electronic Medical Records – How to Implement?

Although switching to EMR will make the documentation process better, there are some factors that need to be considered before expecting a smooth transition.

Nitin Chhoda points out that open communication with staff before, during, and after implemenation is important.  He will discuss how and why managing your staff’s expectations is crucial, and how to handle any rough patches during the change over process.

electronic medical recordsElectronic medical records are sometimes feared by clinicians and medical managers because of wrong implementation that may not actually improve the business and remain stagnant instead.

Implementation is going to be the toughest time, as everyone will probably be adjusting their workflow and accomplishing tasks more slowly than before.

But this shouldn’t discourage you from making the necessary changes. You will learn a lot through implementation of your electronic medical records and you can use that to your advantage.

Before Implementation

The best way to ensure that implementing electronic medical records goes smoothly for your practice is to plan and prepare beforehand. You should have a time leading up to implementation when all staff members can give input, voice concerns, and get the training they will need.

Remember this phrase: managing expectations.

If your staff expects the process to be difficult and frustrating, but things go smoothly, you will find that electronic medical records implementation will be easier. But if you try to convince the staff that it will be simple and straightforward, any problems will seem larger than they are in the grand scheme of things.

Make a plan, set goals, get buy-in and feedback, and give your staff the training they will need. Implementation will be a completely different experience if you prepare for the physical therapy electronic medical records implementation process.

When You Hit Tough Patches

electronic medical records implementationThere will be rough spots. Accept that now and you are halfway to dealing with them. The same is true for your staff’s attitude towards difficulties.

Let them know that you expect it to take a bit of time in implementing electronic medical records system before everyone has adjusted and that you want them to deal with problems rather than brush over them.

Problems that arise will educate you on how to improve the system to meet the needs of staff. Use each problem as if it is an opportunity. Talk to staff and the software developers so changes can be made right from the start.

Others Have Been There Before

Another important thing to remember is that you aren’t the first practice to implement physical therapy software for electronic medical records management. There are incredible resources out there that can help you along the way. From choosing the right physical therapy EMR to dealing with issues during EMR implementation, you can find resources online.

Electronic medical records system implementation could present some struggles for you and your staff. But those struggles don’t have to be disasters.

Makes sure that you and your staff have access to training materials and resources and that everyone is encouraged to ask questions. If you can manage the expectations of the staff, ensure that they are on board even before electronic medical records implementation starts, and give them support during the process, things will go more smoothly.

Electronic medical records of physical therapy software has been improving, but that doesn’t mean the prefect fit has been established. Another critical part of ensuring that implementation goes well is that you choose the right software. Take your time and do the research to determine what will work best for your practice.