Hospitals, Are Your Acquired Practices’ Coding Practices Up to Code?
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareHospitals are acquiring physician practices left and right – with consolidation increasing exponentially over the past decade. In fact, in just the four years between 2012 and 2016, there was a 63 percent increase in the percentage of hospital-employed physicians, in addition to thousands of practice acquisitions. Most of this consolidation is due to the …
Reducing Administrative Burden – Hospitals’ Wish List for CMS
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareU.S. hospitals have a long list of requests for CMS in helping to reduce administrative burdens that make it difficult for healthcare organizations to maintain profitability during a time of healthcare reform. Earlier this summer, CMS issued a request for information from stakeholders as part of its Patients Over Paperwork project. Looking for input on …
CAC Catches On, Delivering ROI & High Marks for Customer Satisfaction
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareAccording to KLAS Research, a leading healthcare IT data and insights company, 94 percent of users who have invested in computer-assisted coding would buy it again if given the choice. Based on a research study published in late August, hospitals and health systems are really now starting to realize the many benefits of computer-assisted coding. …
Value-Based Care – It Starts and Ends With Documentation
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareWe’ve all heard the adage – when it comes to healthcare, if it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to value-based care – particularly as it relates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services risk adjustment program. This innovative program offers higher payments to providers who deliver …
Successfully Managing DRG Mismatches
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareThe old saying says it best – two heads are better than one. That’s the crux of DRG reconciliation – the process whereby an organization compares the diagnosis-related group (DRG) code identified by clinical documentation improvement (CDI) teams with the DRG code applied by coding staff to identify discrepancies. While CDI and coding teams don’t …
Revenue Cycle Management- An Interdisciplinary Approach
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareIn healthcare, providers at the bedside know the care team goes far beyond the nurse and doctor. Delivering the highest quality care requires an interdisciplinary model where experts are called on as needed, information is shared, collaboration and continuous performance improvement are part of the process. Much like a patient’s care team, there are many …
Three True Realities of CAC
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareComputer-assisted coding (CAC) has been around since before ICD-10 was introduced – and was developed approximately 15 years ago as a tool to enhance manual coding processes with many promises of grandeur. Today, it’s a growing and emerging market – estimated to reach $4.1 billion globally by 2025, but the realities of what CAC can …
Outsourcing, Transparency and Consolidation – Latest Trends in RCM to Watch
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareIn the world of revenue cycle management, there’s always opportunities for improvement. Margins continue to shrink and healthcare payment reform continues to complicate collecting payments. The uncertainties facing hospitals and revenue cycle execs are mounting. As leaders strive to enhance their key financial metrics and to prepare for continued unpredictability, several key strategies have emerged …
The Five Foundational Elements of an Effective Inpatient Coding Compliance Program
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareDeveloping and maintaining a strong inpatient coding compliance program is critical for health systems of all sizes. Constantly changing guidelines, regulations, policies and standards make it important to have a comprehensive process in place for continuing to monitor your organization’s compliance. Failure to do so can have lasting implications on your revenue cycle and could …
Why ‘Audit’ Isn’t a Four-Letter Word When It Comes to Medical Coding
/ Posted in Gebbs HealthcareJust the sound of the word “audit” may leave some leaders feeling uneasy, but the value of an effective medical coding audit strategy can’t be underestimated for healthcare organizations of all sizes and specialties. It not only provides an opportunity to ensure your practice or healthcare organization is following important regulations and guidelines, but it …