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Tag Archives: Matters
Medical Necessity: Why It Matters, Ways to Demonstrate It
“Medical necessity” is difficult to define, with as many different interpretations as there are payers; however, most definitions incorporate the idea that healthcare services must be “reasonable and necessary” or “appropriate,” given a patient’s condition and the current standards of clinical practice. Yet typically, the decision as to whether services are medically necessary is made […]
The post Medical Necessity: Why It Matters, Ways to Demonstrate It appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Product Specificity Matters when Using National Drug Codes
Be sure you are familiar with the identifier codes of drugs and vaccines, and their rules, when billing drug products. The National Drug Code (NDC) number is a universal product identifier for drugs used in the United States. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has required NDC numbers to be reported when submitting […]
The post Product Specificity Matters when Using National Drug Codes appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Size matters 11042? 24.0 cm x 13.5 cm x 2.8 cm
Hopefully you can help.
If your doctor states the following 24.0 cm x 13.5 cm x 2.8 cm non-infected ulceration involving the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the plantar lateral aspect of the thigh.
Do you multiply all these together, 24.0 cm x 13.5 cm x 2.8 cm = 907sqcm? Or do you just grab the highest, for example 24.0cm x 2.8cm = 67.2cm
The 907 seems kind of high..
HealthCare Business Monthly article “Approach Matters for Spinal Arthrodesis”
The surgery scenario in this article does not support the billing of the corpectomy code 63081. Primarily because the operative report does not meet the definition of 63081:
[INDENT]Operative Report states: "a partial C5 corpectomy (30-40 percent) was performed , as the disk fragments had migrated inferiorly behind the C5 body, to safely retrieve the fragments to ensure that all the disk fragments were removed."
[INDENT]63081 CPT code Description: "Vertebral corpectomy (vertebral body resection), partial or complete, anterior approach with decompression of spinal cord and/or nerve roots; cervical single segment"
According to CPT Assistant, April 2016; Volume 26, Issue 4, a cervical spine requires 50% of the vertebral body removed and the thoracic and lumbar requires at least 30% of the vertebral body removed. A copy of this CPT Assistant response is attached, along with an article on insertion of biomechanical devices.
Corpectomy surgery is a high risk procedure because the bone that surrounds the patient’s spinal cord for protection is being removed either partially or completely. Taking out the vertebral body to remove disk fragments seems to be an extreme measure; especially for a herniated disk and no other medical necessity information documented. Arthritis, cervical spine stenosis are typical types of reasons a corpectomy is done.
I just wanted to point this out because of risk to patients. If I am wrong, please speak up. Thanks for reading.
Why Content Marketing Matters to Medical Practices
We hear it all the time.
Content is king.
Content marketing really works.
Seriously, guys. It really does.
Marketing professionals are always talking about how effective content marketing is, but does content marketing matter to medical practices?
The short answer is yes, content marketing works just as effectively in the medical field as it does for all other consumer-focused businesses. According to NeilPatel.com, 78% of consumers believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships. That’s probably something you want to develop with your patients, don’t you think?
So let’s start at the beginning… what is content marketing and how can you use it to fill empty appointment slots at your clinic? Well, content marketing is the process of creating relevant, valuable content to attract new audiences. By distributing targeted content, you can clearly define your practice and establish yourself as a go-to source.
But wait there’s more. According to ContentMarketingInstitute.com, 90% of businesses currently use content marketing, and why wouldn’t they? Content Marketing Institute explains that content marketing leads to:
- Increased sales
- Cost savings
- Better customers who have more loyalty
So you see, content marketing does matter to your medical practice, but where do you start?
Where to Begin
It is important to understand that content is not the only key to appearing high in search engine rankings, but it definitely helps.
You also need:
- A strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. This strategy is a guide to getting your site listed on the first page of google using specific keywords and phrases.
- A social media presence. Having a presence on top social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus will help you connect with millions of users. According to statista.com, “78 percent of U.S. Americans have a social media profile today.” So, by having a social media presence, you can connect with a large audience; and the more you engage with users on social media, the higher you will be listed on search engine result pages.
- To constantly monitor your website via online reputation management. ORM is the process of understanding what patients are saying about your practice and then determining the best ways to improve what is being said online.
How to Get Your Site Listed on the Front Page
1. Write about relevant content
Dragonsearch.com states that 61% of consumers’ decisions are influenced by custom content. When it comes to creating content, you should write about what you know. Some great examples to help get you started are:
- Patient testimonials
- Discussion of new treatment technology in your field
- Risk factors for potential diseases
- Quick top 10 lists – this is particularly effective when creating custom content. These lists are short reads (something many patients will appreciate), but they still help you establish authority.
Also, it is important that you use meta keywords in your writing to link to other pages on your site. If your website doesn’t have the ability to do so then it’s time to build a new website that does have these features.
2. Set a schedule and stick to it
Creating content is a never-ending process. It’s important to continuously generate new posts such as video testimonials, articles or blog updates on a weekly basis. Posting 2 to 3 pieces each week will help you boost your ranking.
3. Promote your hard work
At the end of the day, you’re not writing for your health, you’re writing to boost business, right? So, why would you write, publish and then not tell anyone?
You can earn more patients by:
- Spreading word of your website. Mention it to friends and family, at networking events, or have your doctors put a link to the website on their presentation slides when they host meetings.
- Posting about your website on social networking sites. Including a link on your social networking profiles can drive more traffic to your website.
If you need help spreading the message, you can always contact someone who specializes in the field. Ultimately, the goal is to spread news of your website to the world.
The Takeaway
Building good relationships with patients is essential for medical practices today. If you create custom content frequently and spread the word on it, then you will increase your position on search result pages and establish yourself as an expert in the community.
— This post Why Content Marketing Matters to Medical Practices was written by Corey Gehrold and first appeared on Capture Billing. Capture Billing is a medical billing company helping medical practices get their insurance claims paid faster, easier and with less stress allowing doctors to focus on their patients.