Hospital Access Management – May 1, 2011
May 1, 2011
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Outdated processes for patient ID must stop — Adopt new strategies
This is a two-part series on patient identification processes used by patient access departments. Inside, we cover processes used to verify a patient's identity, the expected impact of healthcare reform, and how to involve patients in the process. Next month, we'll report on new biometric technology being implemented by a growing number of hospitals. -
Healthcare reform could impact patient IDs
It's not possible to gauge the full impact that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will have on patient identification processes, says Robin Ten Eyck, CHAM, director of patient access at Sound Shore Health System in New Rochelle, NY. -
Ask patients to provide demographic information
Patient access staff at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver rely on patient identifiers to prevent identity theft and ask for identification at every visit, whether it's a scheduled appointment or an ER visit, says Roxana Newton, CHAA, patient registration and central scheduling supervisor. -
Keep your 'stars': Offer new positions, more pay
Did you invest a lot of time and energy training a new registrar, only to have her turn around and leave your department? -
What can staff tell you? You'll be surprised
Annual employee satisfaction surveys conducted annually by Greater Baltimore (MD) Medical Center have told Jeanne Day, RHIA, CHAM, director of medical records and patient access, a lot about her staff. -
Monthly POS goal of $450,000 is goal
At University of California San Diego Medical Center, members of the patient access staff participate in the organization's Clinical Excellence Staff Incentive Plan, which gives them an opportunity to earn additional pay for meeting specific goals, says Brenda M. Lamb, assistant director of admissions and patient access. -
Those 'sharing' coverage might qualify for help
Occasionally, individuals pose as others to "share" insurance coverage with family members or friends, reports Jane Gray, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, assistant vice president for the revenue cycle at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. In one such case, the medical records of a woman who delivered a full-term baby showed she had a full term delivery just three months earlier. -
Patients may abuse financial assistance
At Medical College of Central Georgia in Macon, the Care Partners Program offers financial assistance for chronically ill patients in order to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, says Jane Gray, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, assistant vice president for the revenue cycle. -
Registration kiosks made 'intuitive' for patients
The Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon was an early adopter of registration kiosks, says Jane Gray, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, assistant vice president for the revenue cycle. When they were first implemented in 2007, she says, other hospitals were skeptical they could work. -
An ED patient can't pay? Don't leave them hanging
At Catholic Health Initiatives in Lincoln, NE, the patient access department is forming a workgroup to do a better job of helping patients with financial counseling at the time of their emergency department (ED) visit, says Lauree M. Miller, director of patient access. -
Tools for ED collections: Verify coverage now
"I can't pay today." "That's ridiculous. I never had to do that before." "Just bill me for it." -
With ED POS collection, clinical areas are the key
If you want to increase point of service collections in the emergency department (ED), communication with clinical staff is the key, says Lauree M. Miller, director of patient access at Catholic Health Initiatives in Lincoln, NE. -
Patients expect registrars to educate them
More often, registrars are finding themselves in the difficult position of educating patients about their insurance coverage, according to Steph Collins, manager of patient access at Fairview Northland Health Services in Princeton, MN. -
Large out-of-pocket? Offer patients options
At Fairview Northland Health Services in Princeton, MN, when patients learn they will have a large out-of-pocket responsibility, patient access staff work with them to explain their payment options, says Steph Collins, manager of patient access. -
Million-dollar-plus fines signify tougher enforcement of HIPAA
Fines of $4.3 million for Maryland-based Cignet Health and $1 million for Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston should give hospital staff reason to take notice of the stricter enforcement and higher fines included in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: 'Badge buddy' provides HIPAA info
Even before headlines highlighted large fines for HIPAA violations, the compliance department at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center in New York City decided to be proactive to meet the enhanced requirements of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Beware of breach sources: Laptops and flash drives
Fifty percent of data breaches are related to theft of portable or easily moved devices such as laptops, flash drives, and desktop computers, according to the most recent report from the Health Information Trust Alliance, a national consortium of healthcare professionals that focuses on healthcare data security. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Meaningful use FAQs added by Medicare
Eleven new questions and updated answers to other questions about the Meaningful Use Incentive Program can be found on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) web site.