Patients experienced out-of-pocket increases as high as 12% for their healthcare costs last year, according to a new analysis by TransUnion Healthcare. Technology experts have promised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will revolutionize healthcare. Applications have the potential to streamline workflows and reduce human errors, speeding drug discovery, assisting surgery, and provisioning better […]
Patients experienced out-of-pocket increases as high as 12% for their healthcare costs last year, according to a new analysis by TransUnion Healthcare. Released this week at the 2019 Healthcare Financial Management Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, the analysis shows increases occurred in all categories including inpatient, outpatient and emergency department (ED) care. Specifically, inpatient care costs […]
A strategic approach to patient-centered revenue cycle technology strategy should be enabled by predictive analytics and machine learning to help customize the payment experience, refine communication messages, and give proper feedback to continually improve back-end processes. The path to financial health for hospitals and health systems has shifted and is rematerializing in a way that […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making big waves in healthcare from detecting lung cancer and gene mutations that lead to autism to addressing social determinants of health and chronic conditions. The technology is automating and optimizing clinical workflows, leading to improved outcomes, lower costs, and enhanced patient and provider satisfaction. The critical role artificial intelligence now plays in healthcare prompting some providers to […]
Blockchain has taken the shape of an important asset in the 21st century with applications starting from practitioner’s authentication to supply chain management. The abilities of the robust privacy and interoperability of blockchain can change the healthcare space and improve the wide range of needs in healthcare. Blockchain provides a reliable and standard chain of […]
Over my almost 30-year surgical coding career, the documentation for assistant surgeons consisted of only the name of the assistant surgeon in the operative note header. Most often there was no mention of the role of the assistant surgeon in the body of the operative note; it was assumed the assistant surgeon provided an extra […]
When the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) launches Jan. 1, 2020, leveraging tools and resources to ensure compliance will be critical to a successful transition. Home health care providers already have one helpful tool in place: the electronic health record (EHR). By incorporating workflow efficiencies, alerts, customizable features and feedback reporting capabilities, EHRs can provide visibility […]
Medical coders who were unsure what documentation non-Medicare payers would expect in light of the Patients Over Paperwork Initiative now have more to go on. The initiative reduced documentation requirements for outpatient evaluation and management service codes (CPT® 99201-99215) provided to Medicare Part B patients beginning in 2021. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated in their initiative that, although […]
Medicare Advantage Plan contracts are “take-it-or-leave-it” agreements Many questions are swirling about regarding Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP) denials asking what to do about the increasing number and given reasons. I’ve heard or read some amazing stories where payers have gone to astounding lengths to deny claims. Answers are also swirling about based on understandings of […]
CMS has announced a new set of primary care payment models. The Primary Cares Initiative is intended to deliver better value for patients, reduce administrative burden for physicians, and empower them to spend more time caring for patients. The initiative will provide primary care practices and other providers with five new primary care payment models […]