Medical Office Manager

You don't have to wait for the monthly denial report to find out where your revenue-cycle process is breaking down. Pick 20 appointments scheduled for the next several days and look at them as if you were trying to prevent the claims from failing before the patients ever walk through the door. For each appointment, ask: Is everything in place…

Payer portals are supposed to make administrative work easier. Staffers can verify eligibility, check claim status, submit prior authorization requests, retrieve correspondence and handle other transactions without spending half the morning on the telephone. Until the person who has access is out sick. Or the password expires. The multifactor authentication code goes to a former employee's phone. Nobody knows who…

When a claim is denied, attention naturally turns to the billing department. Was the claim coded correctly? Was something missing? Did it go to the wrong payer? Can it be corrected and resubmitted? But some claims are already headed for trouble before the patient ever reaches the exam room. An inactive insurance policy, missing authorization, incorrect demographic information, referral problem…

A cancellation at 10:15 tomorrow morning shouldn't automatically mean an empty appointment slot. Chances are, someone would be delighted to take it. The problem is connecting that patient with the opening quickly enough to make it useful. A well-managed waitlist can help a medical practice fill cancellations, give patients earlier access to care and make better use of provider capacity.…

Life as an office manager is fast-paced and demanding, often making it challenging to prioritize physical activity. However, fitting walking exercise into your day can combat the hazards of a sedentary lifestyle while boosting your energy and productivity. The Hazards of a Sedentary Lifestyle Sitting for prolonged periods can lead to health issues like back pain, weight gain, heart disease,…