Healthcare Finance News

ICD-10 and electronic health records are most frequently considered separate projects, undertaken by separate teams -- but perhaps they ought not be. Heather Haugen, vice president of research at the Breakaway Group explains.

Proposed provision to ACA could save $4.6B

April 10, 2012 |

Kelsey Brimmer

A proposed rule that would establish a unique health plan identifier under HIPAA and would implement several administrative simplification provisions of the Affordable Care Act was announced Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Q&A: New ICD-10 deadline would provide 'a bit of leeway'

April 10, 2012 |

The newly-proposed ICD-10 compliance deadline of October 1, 2014, won't please every healthcare organization. What it does accomplish, though, is to give them a bit of leeway in their project planning. Kaveh Safavi, managing director Accenture's North America health industry unit, discusses the implications.

HHS proposes one-year ICD-10 delay

April 9, 2012 |

Citing a CMS survey that found one quarter of providers do not believe they will be ready by October 1, 2013, HHS argues for delaying ICD-10 implementation by one year.

Possible ICD-10 push back receives mixed response

April 9, 2012 |

Chris Anderson

It seems the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can’t ever get on the right side of the ICD-10 issue. For years it resisted calls to delay the planned implementation date of Oct. 1, 2013, as folks in the industry grappled with overlapping health IT priorities. Now that HHS finally relented, it faces the wrath of healthcare companies who bought into the deadline and have made significant progress toward implementation.

Outsourcing tasks could simplify ICD-10 conversion

March 22, 2012 |

Michelle McNickle

Preparing for ICD-10 is a complex, multi-step process. One industry expert gives tips on what to (and what not to) consider outsourcing.

ICD-10 delay could cost healthcare industry billions

February 28, 2012 |

Mike Miliard

Based on existing overall cost estimates for ICD-10 from multiple sources, officials estimate a year-long delay of ICD-10 could cost the industry anywhere from $475 million to more than $4 billion.

New, no-cost ICD-10 tool launched

February 21, 2012 |

Diana Manos

HIMSS and AHIMA have made available a new online ICD-10 tool at no cost to providers.

AHIMA urges HHS to stay the course with ICD-10 deadline

February 20, 2012 |

Diana Manos

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) pushes for HHS to stand firm behind the October 2013 ICD-10 deadline.

Could the U.S. skip ICD-10 and leapfrog directly to ICD-11?

February 16, 2012 |

Government Health IT Editor Tom Sullivan examines the possibility of an ICD-10 delay causing the U.S. to move directly to ICD-11.

An Approach to the ICD-10 Transition

June 2, 2011 |

Southwest General Healthcare Center (SGHC) enterprise is a private, not for profit organization, and presents how they are actively approaching the transition to ICD-10. Topics include Executive Leadership, Planning and Implementation Analysis, Timeline, Prioritization, Functional Area Assessments and ICD-9 to ICD-10 Data Translation and Analysis. You'll also see a tool for translation and analysis demonstrated by RSM McGladrey.

Maximizing Healthcare Payment Automation

June 2, 2011 |

More than half of the transactions within the US healthcare industry are still paper-based. In addition, there is a processing lag if the payment is paper and the remittance is electronic. Several major challenges plague the healthcare industry’s quest to automate the payments process, and many healthcare providers, billing companies, and banks serving healthcare providers undertake a costly, time-consuming journey to achieve full healthcare payment automation. This session explores the barriers to full healthcare payment process automation and a cost-effective, simple solution for overcoming the barriers.

Creating the Foundation for Financial Health in 21st Century Healthcare Provision

February 1, 2012 |

SPi Healthcare and Frost and Sullivan will address how the financial health of today's healthcare providers is being severely challenged in an era where fundamental factors are clashing.

Advanced Coding Technology to Advance the Revenue Cycle

February 1, 2012 |

Not all computer-assisted coding solutions (CAC) are created equal. Understand the key elements of natural language processing (NLP) and how the precision of Optum's LifeCode® NLP technology can boost coder accuracy and productivity, improve revenue integrity, and mitigate the financial impacts of the ICD-10 conversion.

Enabling Collaborative Healthcare Delivery: Care Coordination Strategies with 21st Century Technology

October 13, 2011 |

This paper, based on a roundtable session featuring John Mattison of Kaiser Permanente, identifies the building blocks of care coordination and the innovative technologies being deployed to support continuity of care by visionary health systems and the healthcare IT vendor community.

Where Information and Care Meet: Secure Mobile Healthcare Solutions that Drive Care Coordination

October 13, 2011 |

This paper, based on a roundtable session featuring Liz Johnson of Tenet Healthcare Corp., examines how leading hospitals and health systems in the country are implementing mobile point of care, sharing best practices and lessons learned, to deliver real-time, high-quality care anywhere.

The Healthcare IT Innovation Imperative: Harnessing the Power of Technology for 21st Century Care Models

October 13, 2011 |

This paper, based on a roundtable session moderated by Eric Dishman, highlights how the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Europe are unleashing the power of data in innovative ways to improve the quality of care while making the system more efficient and cost-effective.

7 Tips for Achieving and Sustaining Financial Health

April 1, 2011 |

Health care providers have to cope with an avalanche of complex rules, regulations, and administrative processes just to run their practices. At the same time, costs are increasing and reimbursement rates are declining. The only way for a practice to achieve financial health in this demanding environment is to learn how to operate at peak performance level.

Role of Analytics Post Healthcare Reform

March 8, 2011 |

This webinar covers some of the aspect of how analytics can be leveraged in the reform impacted areas of ICD10 adoption, Member Cost Transparency, CRM Analytics, Value Based Benefit Design and Provider Performance Management.

A Guide to HIPAA Security Standards

April 1, 2010 |

Is Your Organization in Compliance With the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act? Learn best practices for quickly and easily proving compliance, while increasing operational efficiencies.

AMA claims it wants to delay ICD-10 implementation 2 years

May 17, 2012 |

The American Medical Association (AMA) says it wants the ICD-10 implementation date delayed to Oct. 1, 2015.

Argument against ICD-10 delay doesn't focus on right points

May 8, 2012 |

To be honest, I think we're beyond arguing the merits of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation. It's inevitable.

Getting your ICD-10 training timed just right

April 24, 2012 |

Healthcare providers probably will want to outsource their ICD-10 training to Goldilocks.

Will healthcare organizations create dueling deadlines?

April 18, 2012 |

Dual coding made a brief appearance Monday at American Health Information Management Association's (AHIMA) 2012 ICD-10 Summit.

An update on ANSI ASC 5010 compliance: Unusual denials require vigilance

April 2, 2012 |

Joseph Degati

Effective January 1, 2012, healthcare transactions began their journey across the new 5010 transaction format. On March 15, 2012, CMS’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services announced that it would again delay enforcement of the HIPAA Version 5010 transaction standards for three months.

Why we can't skip ICD-10 and go straight to ICD-11

March 29, 2012 |

Rhonda Butler

Since the recent announcement by CMS that ICD-10 implementation will be delayed for certain healthcare entities, some industry pundits have argued, “Let’s just skip ICD-10 and go straight to ICD-11.”

Survey says delay would make ICD-10 implementation more expensive

February 27, 2012 |

It's tempting to think that delaying the ICD-10 implementation deadline can't be all bad. What's wrong with giving healthcare providers some more time to implement a costly and complicated change?

AHIMA weighs in against skipping ICD-10 for ICD-11

February 20, 2012 |

When asked by an attendee about the possibility that, given the delay HHS is now investigating, U.S. healthcare entities might hold out to adopt ICD-11 rather than implementing ICD-10, AHIMA’s Sue Bowman was glad to be asked.

The ICD-10 Timeline: It's up for revision not destruction

February 15, 2012 |

Don't cancel your next ICD-10 steering committee meeting.

Is Tavenner really trying to delay ICD-10?

February 14, 2012 |

The fight over ICD-10 continued on Tuesday as CMS acting administrator Marilyn Tavenner said at an AMA meeting that CMS wants to reexamine the pace of implementing ICD-10.

Addressing homelessness through better documentation

January 4, 2012 |

Sabrina Edgington

Every day the national healthcare workforce comes face to face with grim realities manifesting from much larger systemic issues.

Gwinnett Medical Means Business When it Comes to Patient Eligibility

August 19, 2011 |

Jennifer Dennard

After speaking with Ulrich Brechbühl, President and CEO of Chamberlin Edmonds, earlier this summer about how his firm helps connect underserved patients with the most appropriate government healthcare programs, I was eager to hear the hospital’s side of the story. Just how big of a benefit were these services bringing to patients’ lives?

SourceHOV teams with 3M to provide outsourced coding solution

October 4, 2011 |

Healthcare Finance News Staff

SourceHOV, LLC, a leading provider of Business Process Solutions and Knowledge Process Outsourcing, has signed an agreement with 3M Health Information Systems to make its outsourced coding resources, provided through SourceHOV's subsidiary LexiCode Corporation, available with 3M's complete suite of ICD-10 products and services. 3M will offer SourceHOV's qualified, credentialed coding resources to help healthcare facilities maintain current coding workflow and reduce risk of backlogs during the ICD-10 transition.

QuadraMed Unveils First Coding Solution to Support Both  ICD-9 and ICD-10 Code Sets

August 24, 2011 |

QuadraMed® Corporation, a leading provider of healthcare technologies and services that improve the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care, announced a new version of Quantim® Facility Coding that supports both ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets.

Healthcare Billing & Management Association presents recommendations to CMS and Congress

June 23, 2011 |

The Healthcare Billing & Management Association (HBMA), a non-profit educational resource and advocacy group representing third-party medical billers and practice management billing professionals, announced its two recent presentations to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Baltimore and Congressional members in Washington, D.C.

MEDecision announces Highmark Inc.'s selection of Its Collaborative Health Management Platform

June 13, 2011 |

MEDecision, Inc., today announced that Highmark Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, has selected MEDecision's collaborative health management solutions to support the care management of its more than 4.8 million members.

3M introduces mobile physician charge capture with coding advice

May 5, 2011 |

New mobile technology introduced today by 3M makes it easy for physicians to manage their daily schedule, review patient information, dictate progress notes, and log accurate charges all on a single mobile device in the palm of their hand.

Alpha II signs integration contract with PCIS Gold

March 28, 2011 |

Alpha II, a leader in healthcare coding, compliance and reimbursement, announced today a new integration contract with PCIS Gold, a provider of single-source medical group practice software.

MEDecision and Health Language Inc. form strategic alliance

March 14, 2011 |

MEDecision, Inc., a leading provider of collaborative health management solutions, and Health Language, Inc. (HLI), a global leader in medical terminology management, today announced that the companies have entered into a strategic partnership that will enable MEDecision to help its healthcare payer and provider customers transition to, comply with and capitalize on the industry’s forthcoming ICD-10 requirements.

Merge Healthcare expands capabilities in revenue cycle management

March 9, 2011 |

Merge Healthcare Incorporated, a global corporation dedicated to health IT interoperability solutions, announced the release of Merge Financials 6.1, the latest revenue cycle management solution for Merge’s billing community that processes over 100 million transactions annually.

Office Ally announces record-setting performance in 2010

January 24, 2011 |

Office Ally announced today that the company achieved record-setting performance in 2010 based on new product launches, number of users now engaged, and certifications received.

Texas hospitals choose QuadraMed's ICD-10 Countdown Program

December 20, 2010 |

QuadraMed Corporation, a leading provider of healthcare technologies and services, announced today that the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals Foundation, through a grant from the Texas Department of Rural Affairs, is offering the QuadraMed ICD-10 Countdown Program and Readiness Assessment Services to its 150 member hospitals.

Alpha II announces software integration with First Medical Solutions

December 1, 2010 |

Alpha II, a leader in healthcare coding, compliance and reimbursement, announced the integration of Alpha II’s CodeWizard software with First Medical Solutions’ First Medical Suite, a combination of FirstEMR and First Medical Office software.

TrustHCS launches blog for coding compliance, cancer registry and revenue cycle

November 5, 2010 |