Properly Executing the Medicare ABN-Part II Last Week Thanks for returning to read out two-part series, Properly Executing the Medicare ABN. Last week we introduced the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) to you and explained the theory behind the use of this government- issued form. You’ll recall that we explained that the ABN is […]
Emergency! – Digging Deeper to Define Lights and Sirens Myth This billing office is often questioned about what constitutes an emergency for the purposes of billing and collecting payment. There’s a myth in EMS that any ambulance incident that necessitates the use of “lights and sirens” is an emergency. It’s not the case. We look […]
When Other Healthcare Disciplines Don’t Know Ambulance “I worked in healthcare.” One recent caller to our billing office started a conversation in this way when he called to question his ambulance bill. The patient called because he had received notice that we had billed Medicare on behalf of one of our EMS agency clients. The […]
Of “Ambulance Drivers” and “Emergencies” All of the times… Can you count all of the times that you have been labeled an “ambulance driver”? Nearly half a decade removed from the dawn of modern EMS, to our neighbors that’s what we are…ambulance drivers. Regardless of all of the hours you’ve spent training to attain your […]
Documenting Incidents for Public Places/Stand-By Events We are asked… Here at the billing office we often are asked questions about documenting EMS incidents that take place in public places and many times during stand-by events. There are the events where your EMS agency is engaged such as high school sporting events, community events such as […]
Our Documentation Quiz Pop Quiz Regular readers of this space know that we focus a lot on Patient Care Reports and the documentation in those reports. The real purpose of this blog space is to help all of you become better documenters while calling your attention to the rules and regulations that are in place […]
The 3-Pronged Role of the EMS Billing Office A Higher Calling Every EMS billing office has a higher calling. Your EMS billing staff, whether they are in-house or you use an outsourcing company, like Enhanced Management Services, need to understand that without an adequate flow of dollars your EMS agency is not going to be […]
What’s Your EMS Agency’s Customer Service “Footprint” Look Like? “Footprint?” Whether you realize it or not, the EMS agency you serve has a very important “footprint” that is left behind following every patient encounter. It’s the Customer Service “footprint.” It’s the impression that is left behind in the eyes of the patient, his/her family and/or […]
Adding EMS Routines? 3 Key Questions to Ask Prior to Taking the Leap Increase volume. Increase cash flow…not so fast! As an EMS billing contractor, we increasingly are contacted by our clients about the pros and cons of adding routine/non-emergency ambulance transports to the daily repertoire. It’s a big decision. It’s a decision that should […]
Taking Aim at System Abusers Past History- “Villainizing” the Service Providers If you follow the news regarding entitlements like we do, then you have probably noticed a growing trend toward what we consider to be the “villainizing” of healthcare providers that bill Medicare and Medicaid. Everyone seems to want to blame the ills of the […]
