Earlier this month, Advanced Hospice Management successfully launched an online reputation management (ORM) service that can be utilized separately or bundled together with our other offerings.
As most industry professionals know, hospice is an extremely competitive industry, and people rely heavily on the internet to help them when selecting a provider. A hospice agency’s online reputation, composed of news and reviews, acts as the provider’s digital resume and greatly influences the patient’s or loved one’s decision in selecting a care provider. Negative reviews are easily found and have the power to destroy a hospice agency’s reputation. After recognizing that many providers were suffering from the same issue, we developed a solution that would benefit all of our clients.
Although it may seem like a monumental issue, many hospice agencies aren’t even aware of this problem and its detrimental effects. If they are aware, most don’t know how to fix it. In order to combat these issues, we developed an Online Reputation Manager that suppresses negative press. Over time, our solution will generate enough positive attention to greatly diminish the impact of any online negativity that would otherwise detract from a hospice agency’s success.
The Online Reputation Manager fits as a natural extension to our other services and seeks to accomplish the same goals – improve a hospice agency’s financial standing and allow owners to focus on providing care.
Contact us to learn more about implementing this service
As a specialized hospice billing service, clients often come to us after experiencing major issues at a previous company. We constantly see hospices left in financial shambles after inadequate billing services fail to deliver the high level of attention and thought that hospice billing requires.
In 2016, we began working with a client after the previous billing company failed to react to Medicare regulatory changes, and the hospice lost tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, the billing service lacked responsiveness, and collection rates during this period suffered tremendously.
Although the hospice was in an awful situation, we knew we could devise a plan to stop outstanding collections from rising and regain regulatory compliance. Within seven months of Advanced Hospice Management working with this client, we collected every cent oversaw the implementation of a massive software upgrade.
“When AHM took over it was a complete 180. A breath of fresh air. Everything they said was proven with our collections.” – Hospice CEO
Selecting a billing agency or service is one of, if not the, most important decisions a hospice provider makes. Effective collecting impacts the entire operation, and the incorrect choice could easily lead to long-lasting negative repercussions.
Inferior services can result in lower collection rates over long, unproductive time periods. Billing services should consistently acquire a high percentage of claims that maximize a hospice’s intake. With a hospice’s success so reliant on billing and successful collecting, the decision has to be made correctly.
We compiled a list of factors to consider when selecting a billing service:
Specialization
Your biller should be specialized in the billing service specifically related to your industry. At Advanced Hospice Management, we focus solely on hospice billing, and our team is comprised of knowledgeable experts who stay updated on all relevant regulations that could potentially affect hospice billing.
Transparency and Communication
Billers should always maintain an open line of communication with their clients. In addition, hospices should always be in contact with their billing service and get a detailed overview of every single claim and its collection status. Our team has monthly A/R calls with clients to discuss all outstanding claims and what we will do to collect the money.
Adaptability
With a plethora of billing software options, hospices should make sure their biller can effectively operate the current software in use. Technology changes can be costly and interfere with the collection process.
To prevent potential issues, we bill in whatever EMR software our client is currently using. If they ever decide to upgrade or change systems, we can follow them seamlessly without interruption.
If you’re interested in working with Advanced Hospice Management and maximizing your collections, visit us at https://hospicemgmt.com/contact/ or call 888.737.3585
Hospice providers can select from a wide variety of electronic medical record (EMR) platforms to store and manage their invaluable information. Unlike most hospice billing services, we pride ourselves on using whichever EMR service our client prefers. We don’t demand a switchover or charge any extra fees. It’s a simple courtesy we provide for every client.
An integral part of Advanced Hospice Management’s onboarding process is understanding a client’s chosen platform and ensuring we know how to fully utilize it. Throughout our history we’ve worked with the majority of the major software services, but we’re always excited to learn smaller EMR platforms. It’s an opportunity for us to gain more knowledge about the software, learn more about what the hospice wants and educate our billing team.
Although we offer our clients total freedom, some hospice providers feel trapped by their current EMR platform because they utilize the EMR’s billing service and feel they may lose their billing capabilities if they switch. In order to combat this fear, we are completely willing to stay with hospice agencies as they transition between EMR services. As a seamless billing service, Advanced Hospice Management stays with clients regardless of the platform.
We understand the countless choices hospices face when selecting an EMR platform. But, we don’t ever want clients to feel pressured to switch software while working with us. As a seamlessly integrated billing service, we are completely committed to achieving great results and maximized collections regardless of your preferred platform.
Hospice providers can select from a wide variety of electronic medical record (EMR) platforms to store and manage their invaluable information. Unlike most hospice billing services, we pride ourselves on using whichever EMR service our client prefers. We don’t demand a switchover or charge any extra fees. It’s a simple courtesy we provide for every client.
Selecting a billing agency or service is one of, if not the, most important decisions a hospice provider makes. Effective collecting impacts the entire operation, and the incorrect choice could easily lead to long-lasting negative repercussions.
Don’t fear the unknown; understanding how outsourcing your billing with the right company will improve your bottom line, will definitely make it easier to make an impartial, profitable decision regarding the future of your hospice.
Although a transition to outsourced billing is certainly a big step, the process can be smooth and painless, with a detailed implementation plan and close oversight, and most importantly, choosing the most qualified hospice billing service. Here’s how you can successfully and easily migrate your billing to a superior outsource provider:
Find the Right Provider
There are many medical billing partners out there. How do you know which is right for you?
Here are five questions you should ask every provider you interview to determine if they’re a good fit for your company:
Do you specialize in hospice billing and revenue cycle management?
Can you give us a full detailed process of how you manage our claims and payments?
How does your team integrate with ours?
How long does it take you to respond to our questions?
What other clients do you serve that are similar to my hospice?
Nail the Timing
Migrating is easier when the time is right. So when is that?
The short answer is, it is always the right time to improve your collections.
Agency growth, growing AR balances, and reductions in cash flow are all signs your company needs better billing practices and revenue cycle management.
Employee turnover is a great concern when cross training has been insufficient, or worse, there is no backup biller to train. Your agency could be at great risk for revenue loss should you lose key employees. Geographical challenges and lack of an experienced candidate pool can make building or replacing a billing team all but impossible.
Know the Timeframe
You’ve decided to outsource. Now what?
A full hospice-billing transition can be done in a matter of weeks, depending on the size of your company. Following a step by step onboarding process allows for full transition with no downtime or lapse in claims processing.
Of course, you will likely want to have some level of control over your billing transition, and a quality outsource billing team will customize the process to fit your specific needs.
Rally the Team
Sometimes, it pays to do a little cheerleading.
Having your internal team onboard with outsourcing will make the transition successful. Internal agency billing can be challenging when your census has outgrown your staff, and when changes in payer reimbursement rules, claims formatting, and Medicare regulations have outpaced their education and expertise. Help your team understand how outsourcing will result in better workflow and allow for more time spent internally on the prebill process, resulting in cleaner claims and predictable payments.
Executives are generally compelled by the cost savings, managers are happy about the removal of staffing-related burdens, and valuable staff members are glad to transition to more important roles.
Consult a Hospice Billing Specialist
You aren’t a hospital – you’re a hospice. So why would you partner with a provider that lumps you in with other provider types? We all know that hospice billing is unlike any other provider billing, and expertise is required.
At Advanced Hospice Management, we know hospices. And we guarantee a smooth, predictable onboarding that will get you results quickly.
If you own or manage a hospice care agency, you undoubtedly know how frustrating it can be to take time and energy away from your caring for your patients to handle your organization’s billing and collections. However, without a steady stream of revenue, it’s difficult or impossible to keep your doors open. It’s quite a conundrum. That’s where a third party hospice billing company like Advanced Hospice Management can help.
What is a Hospice Billing Company?
A hospice billing company, as the name implies, specializes in collecting payment for hospice organizations. This can be revenue from insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. Our experts are skilled at getting every dollar your agency is entitled to, even when that means billing a number of different sources.
Benefits of Working With a Hospice Billing Company
It allows you and your staff to spend more time with your patients. Outsourcing your billing and collections allows you and your staff to concentrate on your core mission, providing care for hospice patients and their families.
There’s no need for training on billing. When you use a hospice billing company, you and your staff don’t have to worry about software training for the billing process. Our expert billers know the billing flow and can generate claims in any EMR.
We’ll improve your cash flow and reduce your risk of audits and takebacks. We strive to get every claim paid in full the first time. By collecting more of your claims quickly and more fully, you’ll have more cash flow to meet your regular operating expenses. When you use our billing and collection experts, you’ll dramatically reduce your risk of claims errors resulting in payment rejections. By submitting clean, accurate claims, resulting in proper payment, we reduce the number of payment corrections made by payer audits, allowing you to keep the money you’ve earned.
We’ll help you resolve old, unpaid claims. We have a proven track record of collecting those claims that have been lingering for weeks or months. We’ll review, revise and resubmit them and, in most cases, collect your money.
We’ll mitigate the risk of your financial stability. Placing the weight of your finances on the shoulders of one or a few internal billing personnel can put your financial stability at risk. Let our experts take care of your hospice billing. Not only will we file your claims in a timely, efficient manner, but we will also remove the stress of relying on employees who may take unplanned leave, or worse, other employment. We assign a team of billers to manage your hospice claims, so you never worry about losing key personnel and the negative impact that would have on your revenue cycle. We are always available to submit, monitor, and manage your outstanding claims resulting in collecting more of your money, faster.
Staying on top of your billing, coding, and collections doesn’t have to be an impossible task. We can help. To learn more about outsourcing your hospice billing, contact Advanced Hospice Management. We’re a leader in the outsourced/third party hospice billing industry.
Do you know the best practices for keeping a timely filing and billing cycle? Hospice billing is a sequential process, and any mistake can throw off the complex process of filing claims and result in delayed reimbursement. Here are a few of our steps for keeping your hospice billing cycle as smooth as possible.
Step 1: Submission of the Notice of Election (NOE)
The first step of the hospice billing cycle is the submittal and processing of a clean, error free NOE. Before hospice claims can be filed, all NOEs must be filed and processed, specifically within 5 days of administration. Any mistakes or issues with filing can result in a rejected NOE which will delay the rest of your sequential billing process and possibly result in non-covered days, causing you to lose reimbursement of the daily rate until a clean NOE is accepted by Medicare.
Step 2: Managing Interactions with Other Hospice Providers
Do you know what other issues you may encounter that will prevent a clean NOE from processing? Previous hospice care can impact and delay your NOE processing if they have not completed their billing and/or revocation. Are you proactive in getting the previous hospice to bill? Do you know what steps Medicare requires you to take before you can file a dispute and ask for their help? Knowing and understanding sequential requirements can help you keep your billing cycle free of errors and delays and move your claims into processing quickly.
What if your patient was a transfer from another hospice agency? Do you know what the previous provider must do in order for your agency to bill? What if they make a mistake that prevents you from billing? You must know what steps should be taken by the previous hospice to correct transfer errors that block your billing, and when to get Medicare involved if corrections are not made timely.
Step 3: Submission of Sequential Claims
As a result of interactions with other hospice providers, billing may be delayed several months and agencies may have multiple claims ready to submit at once. Previously, Medicare would process the first claim only, and providers would have to wait until it was recorded on the CWF before the next claim could be submitted. Providers can now submit multiple months at once, and the subsequent claims will be held in status S location B0100 and will fall into processing automatically once the previous claim moves forward into a payment pending location. Depending on how many claims are submitted at once, it is still possible to have some RTP, so it is important to monitor those claims throughout processing.
Step 4: Submission of the Notice of Termination/Revocation (NOTR)
Just as we discussed in the NOE section above, it is equally important to submit NOTRs timely and accurately for all revocations and discharges. The implementation of the five-day NOE rule included the NOTR, and Medicare instructed providers to file all NOTRs within five days. However, with no immediate financial repercussions for not filing the NOTR timely, this has become an afterthought for many agencies. Filing a late NOTR can absolutely have financial repercussions for your agency! If you do not file an NOTR timely, and the patient returns to your service, the subsequent NOE cannot be filed until your NOTR for the previous election processes. Should you have an error or issue with the NOTR that results in a late NOE, the appeal will most likely be denied due to provider error. Your timely NOTR is just as important as your timely NOE when considering Medicare compliance since both fall under the five-day timely filing rule.
At Advanced Hospice Management, we take the stress of hospice billing off your shoulders. We know the best practices to streamline your billing and ensure that your cycle is smooth and free of errors, and we monitor interactions with other providers to get your claims processed as quickly as possible. For a free review of your hospice billing processes, contact us today.
