Physical Therapy Billing to Become More Dominated by Government, Says Private Practice Marketing Expert
Denville, NJ (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- Despite the continuation of a private healthcare insurance plan for handling most if not all physical therapy billing reimbursements, combined legislative and policy changes resulting from recent healthcare reform indicate greater role will be played by Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-care, CHAMPUS VA and workers compensation plans in the immediate and ongoing months. Chhoda is supportive of the increased role of government in encouraging the conversion of paperwork to EMR documentation. EMR provides more efficient storage and use of information by all parties relevant to the provision of health services.
“Among the aspects of the protocol of government payers that drive physical therapy further towards an EMR model is the fact that “Medicare prefers to pay providers via electronic fund transfer and most claims are paid without problem when submitted correctly,” said Chhoda. This suggests that providers should use electronic medical record technology whenever possible to facilitate the payment process. Variations on this same preference by government payers runs across the other US related payment programs as well, placing strong pressure on physical therapy EMR to conform to the prevailing standard.
The inclusion of medical records with the reimbursement claim is demanded by the federal (and many state) insurance plans, which acts as an additional incentive for modern physical therapy management to incorporate EMR including such documentation into their protocols and software. Chhoda feels this evolution of the industry will create a higher and universal standard of care that connects both the provision of services with a seamless administration process for handling information related to the physical therapy of clients.
Physical therapy documentation providers across the industry are moving to conform to EMR protocol. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) concludes: “Electronic medical records, as a technology, are a logical progression in advancing the ability of the healthcare industry to provide more comprehensive care options more quickly. As electronic medical records (EMR) systems continue to proliferate with further Electronic Health Records (EHR) implementation, the state of health information management (HIM) becomes more agile and patient-centered. AHIMA sees these changes as extremely beneficial.”
Chhoda’s office can be reached by phone at 201-535-4475. For more information, visit the website at http://www.emrnews.com.
About Nitin Chhoda
Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and an entrepreneur. He is the author of "Physical Therapy Marketing For The New Economy" and “Marketing for Physical Therapy Clinics” and is a prolific speaker, writer and creator of products and systems to streamline medical billing and coding, electronic medical records, health care practice management and marketing to increase referrals. He has been featured in numerous industry magazines, major radio and broadcast media, and is the founder of Referral Ignition training systems and the annual Private Practice Summit. Chhoda speaks extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Asia. He is also the creator of the Therapy Newsletter and Clinical Contact, both web-based services to help private practices improve communication with patients, delivery better quality of care and boost patient retention.
Nitin Chhoda, EMR News, http://www.nitin360.com, 201-535-4475, [email protected]
Share this article