WSMA Coding and Billing Assistance/Advocacy
Administrative Simplification Guidelines—Washington Healthcare Forum
Administrative simplification—reducing the hassle factor, streamlining policies and procedures and decreasing nonproductive work—has been a key focus of the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) for several years. As part of that commitment, we have been an active participant in the Washington Healthcare Forum, (the Forum) a statewide organization committed to improving the health care system.
The policies, and new initiatives that are being developed by the Forum, are now available only at the new Forum Web site, http://wahealthcareforum.org/
In addition to administrative simplification initiatives, you'll also find information on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) transactions. The Forum site also will post information about future workshops and other activities designed to improve the health care system.
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AMA Discount Publications
All WSMA/WSMGA members can purchase AMA Publications at a discounted rate. Members have unique needs, and these AMA products offer resources to help meet these needs from Practice Management to Coding.
For more information, contact Jenelle C. Dalit at the WSMA's Health Care Economics Department at (206) 441-9762 or 1 (800) 552-0612, or via email.
To download the Order Form, click here [PDF].
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athenahealth, Inc.
athenahealth, Inc. provides the only physician revenue and clinical cycle management offering that integrates web-based practice management and EMR software, continually updated payer knowledge, and back office processing specialists into a single service. The results are faster payment at lower cost, improved patient care, higher revenue retention and less hassle for the more than 11,500 providers in 54 specialties using athenahealth nationwide.
WSMA recommends the industry's leading billing and practice management solution, athenahealth's ahtenaCollector, to members. WSMA members can receive a 6% discount for athenaCollector services provided they have their principal place of business in Washington State and all of the physicians in the practice are WSMA members.
In addition to the discounted services the following resources and content may be of interest/value to WSMA members:
If you have questions about this product or are interested in more information, please contact Michelle M. Lott at (206) 441-9762 or 1 (800) 552-0612 or via email.
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DecisionHealth - Health Care Newsletters, Publications and Educational Tools
DecisionHealth delivers unbiased healthcare news as a completely independent source. Their flagship publications include Part B News, Medicare Compliance Alert, and Private Payer News.
In addition to these publications, DecisionHealth offers a variety of in-person conferences, audio conferences, and audio conference tapes and CDs. To keep WSMA members abreast of current issues directly affecting our profession, our patients and our organization, we have partnered with DecisionHealth to provide special member-only-discounts on offered by DecisionHealth.
If you are interested in signing up for one of DecisionHealth's conferences, please visit their site. Conference information is listed on the left. When registering online be sure to use discount code WSMADH in order to receive your 15% WSMA member discount.
Here is a list of the types of audioconferences that DecisionHealth produces annually:
- Billing, Reimbursement
- Pay for Performance
- Private Payer Contracting
- Managing Non-Physician Practitioners
- Medicare Provider Enrollment
- Specialty Coding and Billing
- ASC reimbursement and management
- Medicare Part D
- Managing Practice Expenses
- Preventative Medicine Billing
- E/M Coding
You'll benefit from their experienced team of journalists and professionals. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact DecisionHealth's customer relations staff at 877-397-1496 or via email at customer@decisionhealth.com . For more information on DecisionHealth, click www.decisionhealth.com.
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Insurance Claim/Assistance Request (ICAR)
The WSMA continues to hear from physicians and practice managers regarding unresolved claims problems with health plans. To better assist our members in addressing these concerns, the WSMA is pleased to offer this service, the WSMA Insurance Claim-Assistance Request (ICAR).
Use this form to advise the WSMA when you encounter problems with specific insurance claims. Here's how the process works: the WSMA will facilitate communication between the physician's practice and appropriate parties at the health plan. In compliance with the recently implemented HIPAA privacy regulations, WSMA has instituted policies to protect patients' "Health Information" we receive from WSMA members.
Important: Before a WSMA member sends us any "protected" health information, the WSMA will need to receive a signed Business Associate Agreement. Click here to download a copy of the WSMA's Business Associate Agreement [PDF].
Upon receipt of your completed ICAR form and a signed Business Associate Agreement, the WSMA will track each ICAR, and forward a copy to the relevant health plan. We'll ask the health plan to act upon that request to resolve the claim, and to advise the WSMA of their actions. We will forward a copy of the health plan's response to the inquiring physician.
This free service is available only to WSMA member physicians and their practice staff. For more information, contact the WSMA's Health Care Economics Department at (206) 441-9762 or 1(800) 552-0612, or via email.
To download a WSMA Insurance Claim-Assistance Request, click here. [PDF]
To download a WSMA Business Associate Agreement, click here. [PDF]
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WSMA Coding Hotline
For better or worse, codes determine your reimbursement. Correct coding also keeps the auditors away. Guidance on CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS coding is now available from the WSMA's certified coders through the WSMA Coding Hotline.
The WSMA Coding Hotline is available by calling Michelle M. Lott, CPC at (206) 441-9762 or 1 (800) 552-0612 or mml@wsma.org.
This service is FREE to WSMA member physicians and WSMGMA member practice managers and staff. Non-members can access this service for a prepaid fee of $120 per month for three questions per practice per month.
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