A bi-weekly newsletter from your physician organization

TPAlogo

Friday, March 17, 2023

Blue Cross offers coding education webinars

Practices interested in better understanding documentation and coding have several opportunities to learn directly from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan during their upcoming webinars. All programs start at 12pm and will run approximately 30 minutes. Click here for more information and to register.


April 26 - HCC and risk adjustment coding scenarios

May 17 - Coding neoplasms

June 21 - Coding diabetes and hypertension

July 19 - Coding heart disease and vascular

Aug. 16 - Tips for proper medical record documentation and coding MEAT

Sept. 20 - Coding tips for COPD and asthma

Oct. 18 - ICD-10 CM updates and changes for 2024

Nov. 15 - Coding chronic kidney disease and rheumatoid arthritis

Dec. 13 - CPT coding scenarios; a look at the new CPT codes for 2024


The Physician Alliance is also hosting quarterly Lunch with the Coder webinars for TPA members. View upcoming events here.

Limited time discounts on vaccine refrigeration

Properly storing temperature-sensitive vaccines is important. Atlantic Health Partners, an Affiliate Partner of The Physician Alliance, partnered with a distributor to offer a discount on vaccine storage units.


TPA members can receive 25% off vaccine refrigerators, freezers and monitoring devices AND free shipping -this special offer expires March 31, 2023.


These products are designed to meet the specific and unique requirements of clinics and doctor’s offices. TPA practices can order directly through Global Industrial's website - use promo code GLOBALHCNC15


TO ORDER:

To get this discount, practices MUST order through Kimberly Thompson at Atlantic Health Partners, (800) 741-2044 or kthompson@atlantichealthpartners.com.


View available products:

Click for vaccine refrigerators and freezers

Click for temperature monitoring units

Click for refrigerator data logging and monitoring devices

Free resources to help patients at risk for kidney disease

One in three adults, or 33%, in Michigan are at risk for kidney disease. Most people are unaware of this risk. One of the top risk factors for kidney disease is type 2 diabetes. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history.


March is National Kidney Month, making it a great time to raise awareness about kidney disease with your patients. Here are some quick action items:


Raise awareness

Encourage your staff members, patients, and friends to take the short, one-minute Kidney Risk Quiz to find out if they are at risk for kidney disease. 


Spread the news

Educate your patients and staff about kidney disease prevention. The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) created a toolkit with shareable content that provides important kidney health facts and wellness tips.


The Physician Alliance also created the following marketing and patient education materials related to risk factors for kidney disease:

  • diabetes toolkit to help educate patients on diabetes prevention and management
  • blood pressure education and tracking sheet
  • patient healthy lifestyle self-management form


Join the conversation

Social media is a great vehicle for raising awareness. Encourage your staff to share the quiz so that their friends and loved ones can too find out if they are risk for kidney disease. NKFM provided sample tweets and Facebook posts to make sharing easy, and TPA has social media graphics related to several of the risk factors (available on our member portal).


Get protected

People with kidney disease are at higher risk for more serious illness from COVID-19 compared with others. Remember that it is never too late to gain the added protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Talk with your patients about getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster.


Source: National Kidney Foundation of Michigan; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Three ways medical offices can reduce past due accounts

Many medical practices have knowledge of best practices in billing. However, addressing past due accounts can be a challenge for some practices. These top three ways to reduce past due accounts can help a practice’s accounts receivable area.

 

1. Have a defined financial and debt collection policy.

Make sure that your payment terms are clearly stated in writing on the patient registration form and statement. If payments are late, have a defined procedure for the office staff to follow. 

 

2. Use your aging (financial) sheet, not your feelings.

Many practices (or well-meaning employees) have let an account age beyond the point of reason because he or she felt the patient would eventually pay. Try to focus on EVERY account going over 45 days and stick to a systematic plan of follow up.

 

3. Use a third party sooner.

More than likely, if patients can pay your office, they will do so or at least communicate their intentions before you place their account with a pre-collect service.

 

Pre-collect third party services allow you to keep 100% of the money if collected timely. Designed for early intervention, a ‘pre-collect’ service can save practices the internal costs of working accounts beyond the point of reason. Typically, once an account reaches 90 days, you should consider using professional third-party debt collection agency intervention.

 

Practice managers and their staff often understand that managing the accounts receivable involves asking for payment without coming across as harsh to patients. A diplomatic ‘pre-collect’ service can save practices the internal costs of working accounts beyond the point of reason.

 

Source: Transworld Systems (TSI) is one of TPA’s Affiliate Partners. TSI offers diplomatic past due accounts and debt collections services for our member practices at exclusive pricing. For questions regarding pre-collect services or debt collections, call Michael Glass at (248) 914-0346. 

Current healthcare news

Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization, a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients, Kaiser Health News

Older people with anxiety frequently don’t get help. Here’s why, CNN

Has life returned to normal? 8 COVID-19 experts weigh in about life returning to normal, Becker's Hospital Review

Survey shows Black patients dress up and modify speech to reduce bias, Kaiser Health News

Top 10 patient safety concerns for 2023, Becker's Hospital Review

Prostate cancer treatment can wait for most men, study finds, Associated Press

Ways you can save

Featured Affiliate Partner: VACCINE PURCHASING PROGRAM: Atlantic Health Partners (AHP) offers a flexible vaccine purchasing program for TPA members to receive favorable pricing on vaccines, plus free enrollment and an annual rebate on all program vaccine purchases.



Learn more about this partner.

Visit TPA's Website