Tools

This Excel worksheet, provided by Lighthouse MD, is meant to expedite E&M coding.

Use this tool to see how Medicare's new fee schedule will impact your practice. This tool helps you translate Medicare's RVUs into dollars.

Get the full results of our latest reimbursement and charge schedule survey or read our analysis of the results.

How good are your key accounts receivable processes? Do you even know what to measure? Find out how you are doing by entering key data from your practice and comparing your key measurements to industry benchmarks.

Use this form if you think Medicare will not cover a service you are about to perform on a patient covered by Medicare. If the patient still wants the treatment, their signature shows they know they may be responsible for payment. Please note that a separate form must be signed for each service for each date of service, and that the patient has the option to refuse the service. Because of the specificity required, this process (and form) is best managed by the clinical team, instead of the front office. This form was created by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) for your use. For more information, visit http://www.hcfa.gov/medlearn/refabn.htm.

This is similar to the general notice above, but is specifically for laboratory work. Again, this form comes directly from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Access its Web site for more information.

Medicare denies claims for 26 percent of all services submitted. More distressing -- 40 percent of those services are never resubmitted for payment by providers. Talk about missed opportunities! Customize this form letter -- and the ones below -- to appeal claims denied, no matter who the payer is. Use this letter to show payers that the claims you are sending are not dups, but corrections.

Use this letter is a claim is denied becasue a patient saw a physician in your group who is not his or her designated primary care physician.

This simple work sheet will let you compare your payers' reimbursement for specific procedure with your costs for each procedure. If you're spending more to provide a service than you're making for it, then it's time to address the problem.

Consider this template for annual or quarterly reviews of the performance of business managers in your practice. Of course, make sure your review reflects goals set at the beginning of the year or in a job description.

Thinking about buying an EMR, but not sure how it will pay off? Try this ROI calculator, supplied by A4 Health Systems. It will show you where you can expect to cut costs, regardless of what system you buy.

If you are closing your practice, you need to let patients know and advise them to find another physician. Here is a letter you can use to get the job done.

This is the first in a series of letters to use for patient collections.

Ask staff to sign this agreement, showing that they understand the need to protect patient confidentiality.

Tell 'em what you want and how you'd like to hear about what happened.

Is your practice in the market for a new EMR or other new technology you’re not all that familiar with? Or do you want to upgrade some outdated software or IT tool, and you’re not sure how to start looking? Physicians Practice’s new Product Assessment Worksheet, adapted from a checklist created by New Jersey’s Regional Women’s Health Group, can help you compare products and ensure they are appropriate for your office’s specific needs.

Compare your denial rate from Medicare to national averages for your specialty by total amount denied, number of services denied, or percent of services denied. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Manage your denials from insurance companies by tracking them in this worksheet. Track the denials according to the functional area to identify opportunities for improvement. By tracking and monitoring denials, you can fix the problem and prevent denials in the first place.

Use this sample template for guidelines on documenting established patient visits. Provided by Hill & Associates.

Use this sample template for guidelines on documenting patient visits in general. Provided by Hill & Associates.