Year-End Procedures for THOMAS (Suggestions)

At Genius Solutions we understand that the end of the year can be a very stressful time for your office.  In hopes of streamlining your process we have come up with these recommends to close out last year properly.  We do not recommend posting any of next year’s charges until these steps have been completed.  During this process everyone should be out of THOMAS, and this checklist should be followed in the order given.  The length of time required to complete these functions will vary depending on the size of your practice and the amount of data that you have in your system.

ICD-10 & 5010

If you came to one of our Focus Group meetings this summer, you've seen this slide show.  Just in case you missed it, but want to know more, here you go. Click on the title above to view the .pdf of the slides.

Back in the News- Medicare 23% Pay Cuts- Again!

As most of you are well aware, it took about six months to get a longer than 1 month extension to stave off the Medicare pay cuts earlier this year. Well, that extension is about to expire next Tuesday, November 30th, 2010, at the end of the day.

So, what can you expect?

85th Annual IPMA Fall Conference - Indy Rocks!

City Circle, Indianapolis

Helllllooo Indiana!

May and I (Penny- blog editor and Genius news girl) had the opportunity to hang out with you at the IPMA Fall conference this last weekend at the Hyatt in Indianapolis.  We had a blast!  On Friday we had the opportunity to speak with the Track #1 Assistants about EHRs and the current status of meaningful use, stimulus, how to make a plan, and what it will take to make the change in their offices.  We were also in the exhibit area showing off our new touchscreen EHR which has been especially built, from the ground up, for podiatry.

Touch Screen THOMAS EHR!

Thanks for having us; we enjoyed meeting and speaking with you all.  If you were at the show, but didn't get a chance to grab our coupon-flier for the new touchscreen EHR, please contact May Kamon here at Genius and she'll take care of you.

P.S. If you would like to see more pictures, please visit our Genius Solutions facebook page.

RAC made easy, by CMS

RAC is recovery audit contractors...

I found this great video that had been posted by an CMS with everything you might want to know about RACs in a 27 minute presentation; straight from the CMS horse's mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHFXsfP99Bc

Don't forget to bookmark http://www.cms.gov to stay in touch with all of your needs for RAC, ICD-10 implementation, ARRA stimulus, etc... It's always good to go to the source!

September News Flash: ARRA Stimulus: Going Paperless & Getting Paid September 2010

Note from the editor, Penny:

Chaco Canyon,NM: Pueblo Bonito

First off, let me apologize for getting the News Flash out a bit late for September, but I was out of town.  It was fantastic!   I will include a couple of pictures to prove it.

Barrier Canyon style petroglyph on the Rochester "rainbow" panel in UT

Penny at Monument Valley, UT

Now onto the news... click on the title above, or here, to be taken to the e-mail if you missed it.  If you did miss it, make sure that you give us your most current e-mail address and we'll get it on the list for the next News Flash.

Fall Gratefully and with much Thanks-Giving

By Penny Henriksen, Genius Solutions' News writer and editor

If you haven't noticed yet, the holiday madness is nearly upon us. Not long after you read through this newsletter there will be some over-eager disc jockey that decides to start rotating Christmas/winter holiday music even sooner than last year. The reason I mention the madness is that before it really hits, we get one, really awesome, nearly relaxing holiday to kick off the true season: Thanksgiving.

Coding, Get a Clue!

By Penny Henriksen, Genius News Writer/Editor

Have you ever played the board game "Clue" by Parker Brothers? You have to figure out who did what to whom, where, and with what. Oh, and be right of course! Well, proper coding is like a game of Clue. Coders and billers need to find out what the physicians did with whom, where, with what, and how they reasoned out their solution that way. Moreover, if someone else comes knocking at your door wanting to know the reasoning, you need to have everything properly documented and accessible, so that anyone might be able to solve the same game from all of the clues, in the same way. It can be the difference between game success and game over.

In all of the history of mankind, doers do and recorders record. If a woman (or man) conquered the world, but no one was there to write it down for anyone else to know about it, did they actually do anything? By definition, "history" begins with written records. The doer and the recorder are each others’ right-hand. How legitimate is one without the other? This principle applies to your office as well.

Q. Battery Backups, what are they and why should I care?

Q. Battery Backups, what are they and why should I care?

A. A battery backup is just as the box says- it is an extra, limited time, power supply backup that can save your computer, your data, and your business!

Normally your equipment will plug into the battery backup and then the battery backup will plug into the wall. Most of the time you can get battery backups that will also feature built-in surge protectors or power regulators. This is a double save-your-business bonus! A battery backup allows you time to save your work or backup and gracefully (properly) shut down and unplug your computer equipment, in case of a power outage (blackout or brownout), or power spikes (lightning hits the transformer next to your building, etc.).

Netiquette- Online Etiquette

By Penny Henriksen, Genius Solutions' News writer and editor

Do you have Netiquette? No, I’m not talking about those hairnets your grandmother uses to keep her curls in order. I’m talking about proper etiquette on the “net” (over the Internet)—Netiquette.

With the advent of cell phones and text messaging the written word has taken a real nosedive, this is your chance to bone up on a form of art that many consider to be the true sign of civilization- written words. Our mass migration to the World Wide Web (WWW) seems quite inevitable and is not a bad thing, but it is a very good time to review manners and courtesies in communicating with each other online. This is especially true as we begin to seriously reach out and communicate with each other via e-mail. To this end we list a few of the e-manners that will make you an e-superstar!

Avoiding The Interview Trap

By Patrice Barry, Operations Manager - Genius Solutions, Inc.

There are several federal laws involving all 50 states that limit what employers can ask on employment applications and in interviews. A wrong question can land an employer in court for discrimination.

It seems that every year the process of interviewing and hiring becomes scarier.  The federal laws are to protect applicants from discrimination based on numerous protected classes such as race, national origin and age.

Q. Why didn’t my claim Autopost?

Q. Why didn’t my claim Autopost?

A. The top reasons why your claim may not have AutoPosted are as follows:

• You may get an 835 reports for claims sent on paper as well as for claims sent electronically, but in order for a payment to Autopost in THOMAS, the claim must have been sent electronically. You can tell by looking at your 835 if a claim was sent on paper, because there will be NO account or claim number listed for that claim.
• The 835 data itself could have a discrepancy in the dollar amount. If the amounts in the file contradict one another, THOMAS does not know what to do and will not post either amount. This is generally shown on the exception report as “Patient Liability Discrepancy”.
• Your claim may already be paid! THOMAS will not post an insurance payment twice.
• If your 835 is old, it may not load into THOMAS. To avoid this problem, make sure that you post your check as soon as possible, after you receive payment.
• THOMAS will not Autopost a claim that has a payment amount of zero.