WK8 ASSIGNMENT HP-216

Employment – Mock Interview

During this certificate program, you have spent a considerable amount of time working on employment strategies. You likely decided to return to school because you know education is the best path to employment. Employers are looking for employees with solid skill sets, the ability to learn, and the soft skills to be good employees.

The skillset comes with the courses, the ability to learn is shown by passing the courses and mastering the soft skills we have both included in coursework and exemplified by our actions. Soft skills are those things that make good employees. Soft skills in medical coding are personal and interpersonal skills that help medical coders perform effectively in their roles beyond technical coding knowledge. Reflect on some of these soft skills that speak to you:

• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Patience and Persistence
• Adaptability
• Confidentiality and Ethics
• Teamwork and Collaboration

Good employees arrive to work on time, work hard during paid hours, treat everyone with dignity and respect, and are honest and trustworthy.

Assignment Instructions

Mock Interview: When you’re ready to do your mock interview, select the Live Tutoring link on the course menu and follow this video tutorial, Interview Practice – Career Services (01:44).

• Be sure to use the voice chat
• Ask to do a practice interview for a medical billing and coding position
• There is no need to schedule this, just log in to Tutor.com whenever you’re ready to complete the practice interview

Write a reflection on this entire process and submit it to the assignment drop box. This reflection should be one to two pages long and address points that were listed above as the soft skillset. College writing should always have a proper sentence structure, grammar, and spelling.

WK8 DISCUSSION3 HP-216

End of Course Survey

All students are requested to complete this survey. It provides valuable information to meet your needs better, improve our courses, and provide a better overall student experience – one of the Three Pillars of Excellence upon which the University of Arkansas Grantham is built. If you have not yet completed your survey (these are needed for every course), please do so now. It is needed for the Discussion prompt.;

Share what you feel is the most valuable suggestion for improvement. Share what you are comfortable sharing about your course learning experience. Ensure you place this suggestion in the survey comment section.

WK8 DISCUSSION2 HP-216

Future Career Path and Goals

In looking back at all that you have accomplished in this course and program, consider what you have learned, and the valuable skills developed. You have learned about the codes sets and guidelines for accurate coding, you have a good understanding of the common responsibilities of medical coding and billing specialists, reviewed common insurance companies and best practices, HIPAA standards, as well as preparing for the CBCS certification exam! For this final discussion, you will conduct a job search for medical coders or billing specialists and share your findings with classmates.

Articulate your job search findings for medical coding and billing positions.

Include the following aspects in the discussion:

• Choose a job search engine such as indeed.com and use various terms to find potential positions as medical coders or reimbursement specialists.
• Share information on at least two jobs that you found in your search that may be of interest to you including the job requirements for each job.
• Include information on how you may tailor your resume for the job(s) you may be interested in applying to.
• Describe at least three skills that you could highlight on your resume.
• Provide some tips on job search terms that you found to be effective to share with others.
• Discuss how you can highlight your certification and experience with the job you would like to apply to.

250 WORDS.

WK8 DISCUSSION1 HP-216

Auditing Practices

As a future medical coder or reimbursement specialist, you may find that auditing is part of your regular job duties. There are different types of audit processes that may be used by a medical practice. For internal audits, this may be prospective or retrospective reviews. If the auditing is being completed by an external party such as a third-party payer or designee, then pre-payment or post-payment audits will be conducted.

Explore the main types of audits performed with best practices for doing so.

Include the following aspects in the discussion:

• Identify the pros and cons of the prospective and retrospective audit process.
• Highlight reasons why it is best practice to conduct internal audits.
• Describe why external audits may be conducted.
• Discuss your interest in auditing as part of a medical coder or reimbursement specialist duties. Is this a skill that you feel would be advantageous?

250 WORDS

WK8 ASSIGNMENT2 HP-214

Case Study 1-18

Use the registration form to complete a CMS-1500 Claim Form for a Workman’s Comp Patient.

Open the patient registration information

Open a blank fillable CMS-1500 form

When doing this assignment, remember to:

• Use the NUCC Instructions to complete your CMS-1500
• Review your completed form for errors

WK8 ASSIGNMENT2 INFO HP-214

Workman’s Compensation

The federal and state governments work together using a two-pronged approach to support the health of workers. The first approach is through agencies to promote safety and the second is through the workers’ compensation insurance program that is meant to minimize the effects of a work-related injury or illness and to provide medical and financial support during treatment.

The agency that promotes workplace safety and employee support processes is the Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is known to most individuals who have been employed. Safety standards and oversight provided by OSHA are designed to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries. But when work-related illnesses or injuries do occur the workers’ compensation program is there to provide medical care and financial support.

Workers’ compensation is implemented primarily at the state level and each state may emphasize different aspects of the program. The federal government also has a separate workers’ compensation program, which is mostly for federal employees. Each State will, by Federal Law, include the following classifications under their workers’ comp—program: medical treatment, temporary disability, permanent disability, vocational rehabilitation, and survivor benefits.

In medical facilities, it is important to know that providers are required to accept workers’ compensation-allowable fee as payment in full for covered services on cases involving on-the-job illnesses and injuries. Also, in order to be HIPAA compliant, the State Compensation Boards and payers can review history and treatment data pertaining to a patient’s on-the-job injury only.

When a work-related illness or injury occurs, the first provider to attend to the worker is responsible for completing the “first report of injury form”. An example of this form is found on page 605 of your text. A copy of this form needs to be provided to the State Workers’ Compensation Board/Commission, the employer-designated compensation payer, the ill or injured party’s employer, and to the newly produced patient’s work-related injury chart. There is a time limit for filing this form, which varies from 24 hours to 14 calendar days, depending on state requirements. Medical personnel must contact the patient’s employer to obtain the name and mailing address of the compensation payer.

Billing notes for Workers’ Compensation patients include:

• Deductible – None for workers’ compensation claims
• Copayment – None for workers’ compensation cases
• State compensation board establishes a schedule of approved fees.
• Providers must accept compensation payment as payment in full.

Sometimes the communication that would flag the need for a workers’ compensation claim is delayed. If a private payer is mistakenly billed the initial Workers’ Compensation claim will most likely be denied. The patient must initiate the appeals process with Workers’ Compensation. The provider will be responsible for submitting supporting documentation to Workers’ Compensation and will need to reimburse any payment made by the primary payer. This scenario emphasizes the need to carefully review with patients whether an illness or injury is work-related.

Special handling for Workers’ Compensation claims includes:

• Contacting the employer immediately when the injured worker presents for a first visit without written or personal referral from the employer.
• When processing the First Report of Injury, a progress report, or billing forms no patient signature is needed.
• If an established patient seeks treatment for a work-related injury, create a separate compensation chart and ledger or account.

Processing a Workers’ Compensation claim includes the use of the CMS 1500 form. Instructions for completing this claim are found on page 612 in your text.

In this course, we have covered the most often encountered insurance types that you will find if you choose to work as a medical billing specialist. Your text has done an excellent job presenting instructions for completing the forms for these insurance types. I highly recommend that you return to each chapter to copy and paste these instructions and save the information in your private file. This would make an excellent resource for you while working in your field of choice.

WK8 ASSIGNMENT1    HP-214

Health Insurance Calculations – Medicare Non-Physician Provider

Please review the lecture information prior to completing this task. This scenario is for a non-physician provider, such as an N.P. or P.A., who contracts with Medicare.

Use the attached document to complete

WK8 INFO HP-214

Health Insurance Calculations – Medicare Non-Physician Provider

Please review the lecture information prior to completing this task. This scenario is for a non-physician provider, such as an N.P. or P.A., who contracts with Medicare. More information is available to you in Chapter 9 of your text.

 

Analyze a scenario to determine monetary responsibility for a visit.

 

Fill in the blanks in the following payment situations:

Scenario 1

Calculate the following amounts for an NP who bills Medicare as an incident to a supervising physician (billed under the physician’s NPI).

Submitted charge $75

Medicare allowed amount (MPFS) $60

Nurse practitioner allowed amount (100% of MPFS) $

Medicare payment (80 percent of the allowed amount) $

Coinsurance amount (20% allowed amount) $

Provider write-off $

Scenario 2

Calculate the following amounts for an NP who bills Medicare under their own NPI.

Submitted charge $75

Medicare allowed amount (MPFS) $60

Nurse practitioner allowed amount $

(80% of office charge or 85% of MPFS whichever is lower)

Medicare payment (80% of the allowed amount) $

Coinsurance amount $

Provider write-off $

 

WK8 DISCUSSION2 HP-214

End of Course Survey

All students are requested to complete this survey. It provides valuable information to meet your needs better, improve our courses, and provide a better overall student experience – one of the Three Pillars of Excellence upon which the University of Arkansas Grantham is built. If you have not yet completed your survey (these are needed for every course), please do so now. It is needed for the Discussion prompt.;

Share what you feel is the most valuable suggestion for improvement. Share what you are comfortable sharing about your course learning experience. Ensure you place this suggestion in the survey comment section

250 WORDS

WK8 DISCUSSION1 HP-214

The Future of Medical Billing and Reimbursement

When working in an industry, you cannot ignore the changes and evolution that are unfolding right in front of you. You must remain current with the industry trends and position yourself to adapt to these changes. You have witnessed the emergence of artificial intelligence in medical billing. You may also have seen the increase in outsourcing medical billing and reimbursement functions. Review the article on the Future of Medical Billing to evaluate the changes in this industry. You should also utilize other sources to support your point. Future of Medical Billing

Analyze the future outlook of the medical billing and reimbursement industry.

Include the following aspects in the discussion:

• Express your opinion on the future of the medical billing and reimbursement industry
• Discuss ways to prepare yourself for such changes
• Which one of the four trends listed in this article do you think will have the biggest impact on the industry? Why?
• Recommend strategies for anyone who is currently working, or planning to work, in the medical billing and reimbursement industry

 

 

 

250 WORDS

 

 

 

 

 

The Future of Medical Billing: 4 Trends That Will Keep Growing

• Kennedy Kylander

The new year is approaching, and providers everywhere are asking the question. What medical billing trends are we facing and should they make any changes at their practice to adjust?

The problem with trends is that they can be risky in terms of investing your time, resources, and energy into adopting new tools/resources that might not be relevant in the long-term.

When it comes to medical billing software for billing companies, there are several recent tools/developments that are trending in the industry. The following medical billing trends are here to stay in the new year, and long after.

1) Cloud-Based Medical Billing Software

“The Cloud” has made its way into multiple industries all over the United States. It is simple in nature and refers to electronic storage, maintenance, and access to data over the internet rather than on a specific local device or hard drive. In the medical field, cloud-based medical billing software has been somewhat controversial as providers question its security when it comes to patient data. After all, protecting patient health information is one of the most important responsibilities any provider has to their patients.

The good news is that cloud-based medical billing software from a quality technology partner is more secure than the alternative. Via encrypted technology that is constantly updated at no added cost, patient and practice data is kept safe while enabling qualified professionals to access it on-the-go, wherever they need it.

 

2) Outsourcing RCM Services

A popular question in the medical billing industry is whether or not Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services would be better managed in-house or outsourced to a service vendor. In 2019, a record number of providers started outsourcing RCM. This number is only expected to grow as providers are realizing the benefits of doing so.

By outsourcing RCM services to a trusted vendor, providers free-up time, energy and resources within their own practice while also cutting costs and improving results. Qualified billing professionals manage parts of your medical billing so that your practice sees better clean claim results and more on-time payments.

3) Electronic Claims Processing

Where paper claims used to be the standard, electronic claims processing and medical billing coding are being used increasingly by providers all over the country. With the right system, the software can code your claims automatically to best fit your encounter. Medical billing software from a quality service partner helps providers pinpoint the most common mistakes in their coding to refine their medical billing process and work toward a quick payment.

By filing a claim electronically, providers are able to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. Bulk claims processing helps providers quickly file claims going to the same payer for reimbursement. While this trend has been around longer, software partners are continuously developing ways to improve this electronic process and help providers accomplish more.

4) EHR Integration/Interoperability

While medical billing software is an integral part of any practice, providers run into large inefficiencies and problems with medical billing when their software is not interoperable and fully integrated with their other practice technology. The trend is that providers are finding vendors that offer complete software interoperability, allowing them to work more effectively and better help their patients. Medical billing software is integrated with your electronic health record offers the potential for digital payment processing from a patient portal as well as efficient payment reminders with your practice management software.

These four medical billing trends are not going anywhere and are only expected to grow more. To learn more about how your practice can effectively implement these tools and resources, click here.