18 hours ago · Patient registration is the beginning of the revenue cycle for a hospital. The information captured during this process is critical to hospital financials, yet is often a victim to short cuts and incomplete fields. Without that information, the hospital cannot be paid. Our studies show that the ED, the heaviest users of quick reg, is a ... >> Go To The Portal
Inaccurate or incomplete patient registration has a domino effect that can wreak havoc on your bottom line. Such claims are rejected, delayed or denied, and your pile of unpaid claims will only get higher while your collections shrink. You can avoid problems with claims payments by implementing a thorough patient registration process.
Full Answer
Inaccurate or incomplete patient registration has a domino effect that can wreak havoc on your bottom line. Such claims are rejected, delayed or denied, and your pile of unpaid claims will only get higher while your collections shrink.
In fact, the process is so automatic, your office personnel can probably repeat each step in their sleep. That isn’t necessarily a good thing though, because when your patient registration process is so routine or even taken for granted, it’s easy to miss the details and make mistakes.
All too often in Critical Access Hospitals, we see a clinical staff member doing patient registration after hours. These staff members are not well-versed or trained in the registration process. They went to school to take care of sick patients and help them get better.
The registration staff must periodically review the Privacy Act. Program Integrity. The integrity and accuracy of the patient registration data base is necessary because it is the core of many IHS systems and has a direct effect on many IHS applications requiring workload and population data.
The Final Steps to Successful Patient Registration 1 Be sure to include the patient’s policy ID, group number (if applicable), policyholder information, and policy effective date. 2 After collecting this information from the patient, verify that the policy is active and that the patient is covered for your services. 3 Once you know the patient is covered, add the insurance information to your billing system, making sure to select the correct payer. 4 Because some payers have multiple addresses for sending claims, be sure to choose the one indicated on the patient’s insurance card. 5 Gather information needed for billing claims regarding the reason for treatment. This can include when symptoms began, and if there was a specific event or condition that caused the need for treatment.
Once you have obtained the correct insurance and policy holder information, the final step is to verify eligibility and accurately record that information in your billing system. Here are five crucial steps that will complete your patient registration process.
the gender is misrecorded, either because it’s simply the wrong sex, or your diagnosis isn’t appropriate for the incorrect sex of the patient indicated on the claim. Some payers will reject your claim if the patient’s address doesn’t match the address in their database.
Gathering basic patient information – like names, dates of birth and insurance policies – is standard operating procedure in every chiropractic office. In fact, the process is so automatic, your office personnel can probably repeat each step in their sleep. That isn’t necessarily a good thing though, because when your patient registration process ...
While some payers may allow the claim as long as the patient’s information is correctly indicated, other payers will reject it due to invalid policy holder information. For example, your claim might be rejected if the policy holder’s date of birth is incorrect or missing, even if the patient’s information is correct.
A major pro of patient portals is that they improve patient engagement. Engaged patients are more likely to stay loyal to a practice as compared to other organizations that don’t make much of an effort to connect.
An EHR is a database of all the records for your patients. It’s much more efficient than an antiquated, paper-based method for organizing charts in your practice.
But portals interfaces can be easily simplified and a simple training brochure or online video could make a big difference in getting more patients used to the idea of using the system. It’s natural to have a number of questions about installing an EHR and activating a patient portal for your practice.
Otherwise, patient data could be compromised, leading to fraud and identity theft. A portal can be tough for some patients to comprehend, especially if they have been used to doing things the old-fashioned way. However, you can educate and acclimate patients to the portal when you explain the benefits to them.
However, you can educate and acclimate patients to the portal when you explain the benefits to them. There is also the issue of patients being exposed to more medical jargon then they are used to, including acronyms and strange Latin terms for body parts.
Because circumstances and policies change often, staff should confirm and update patient demographics and insurance information at each visit. How you do this is also important: Rather than rely on “yes” or “no” answers from the patient, ask open-ended questions that require a full response, and therefore ensure you’re getting ...
Complete and accurate patient registration is crucial to a medical practice’s bottom line. Because circumstances and policies change often, staff should confirm and update patient demographics and insurance information at each visit.
49905: Open or Closed? - April 21, 2019. John Verhovshek, MA, CPC, is a contributing editor at AAPC. He has been covering medical coding and billing, healthcare policy, and the business of medicine since 1999. He is an alumnus of York College of Pennsylvania and Clemson University.
John Verhovshek, MA, CPC, is a contributing editor at AAPC. He has been covering medical coding and billing, healthcare policy, and the business of medicine since 1999. He is an alumnus of York College of Pennsylvania and Clemson University.
Registration at a medical office is difficult. Generally, the individuals filling out the forms don’t feel well or they are caretakers for the ill patient and their attention is elsewhere. It’s not uncommon for items to be skipped and for individuals to get frustrated with the whole process. The goal of the forms is to make for a seamless billing process. Over two thirds of the information submitted on a claim form is given by the patient or guardian during the registration process. If information is left out or illegible, a breakdown in the system occurs.
The first element of the revenue cycle starts with patient registration. If anything is omitted, given incorrectly by the patient, or entered incorrectly by the front desk the next steps in the cycle will ultimately fail.
Most registration errors occur because the process is simply too difficult. There are either a ton of forms to deal with or the language on the forms includes terminology that the general population is not familiar with (i.e. guarantor, subscriber, etc.).
The goal of the forms is to make for a seamless billing process. Over two thirds of the information submitted on a claim form is given by the patient or guardian during the registration process. If information is left out or illegible, a breakdown in the system occurs.
The key for practices is to have a registration process that is easy to understand and allows for easy recording of the information. Computer software is an ideal solution; given that employees can actually understand it. It may not eliminate errors altogether, but it can help spot issues sooner.
Staff should review the forms for items that may cause them to have difficulty transcribing. Eligibility should be checked to verify benefits. Doing so within the software or on payer portals can help ensure that most of the insurance information needed to submit a claim is accurate.
It is during the registration process that providers are most vulnerable to the top four denial categories, which include authorization, medical necessity, coding and eligibility.
Registration time - The time from the moment a patient begins the process of providing and/or validating his or her information and signing all necessary documents. Clinical service times - The time a patient spends waiting for a procedure in the clinical department before service.
The PFS department will typically call the coding department when a claim is rejected due to various reasons. When these phone calls come in the coding department may instantly be on the defensive. “Why is billing calling me? I’m the coder not them, ” is the normal thought a coder has. What the coding department sometimes fails to see is that the PFS is calling them because they are the coding experts. However, when PFS asks the coder if a specific code diagnosis is in the chart based upon an LMRP, the coders may become even more defensive.
The relationship between PFS and coding has not always been the healthiest . Each department tends to point fingers at each other , blaming for coding and billing rejections or cash flow delays. The PFS department typically includes the registration department which plays another key role with the revenue cycle process.
Bottle necks may occur in the ancillary departments but they are readily identified in the PFS and coding areas . It is imperative that the PFS and coding department work together as a team to alleviate the coding and billing issues that may arise from any area of the organization.
I’m the coder not them, ” is the normal thought a coder has. What the coding department sometimes fails to see is that the PFS is calling them because they are the coding experts. However, when PFS asks the coder if a specific code diagnosis is in the chart based upon an LMRP, the coders may become even more defensive.
Registering a patient is the very first and initial step whenever the patient will need the services of a medical center and health insurance agency. This process will be aided by a patient registration form which will be provided by the personnel of the service providers. The patient registration form is often presented in a printed document, ...
Know the patient’s medical information. This is one of the main intentions of a patient registration form. With the patient’s medical information, the doctors and medical personnel will be able to determine the specific medical practice and actions to be provided for the patient.
The release of liability will be for assuring that whatever medical procedure agreed by the patient to be done which ends in a failure will not point the center as the liable party.
Doctors and nurses, as well as surgeons, are known as one of the busiest professions in the world due to the demand of their services 24/7. These people need a well-laid down plan for dealing with their everyday work. However, with the aid of the patient registration form, the medical personnel will be able to assign the appropriate doctors ...