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Emergency department (ED) copay collections increased 20% after a process was implemented at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, MD, that required patient access reps to perform a benefit check on patients presenting with insurance.
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Patient access departments need to prepare for a “great increase” in the volume of patients who are eligible not only for Medicaid, but also private insurance policies, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) according to Luis Guerrero, director of patient access services at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans.
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Have community advisory groups give feedback not only on clinical processes, but also the revenue cycle, advises Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA, vice president of healthcare financial practices for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
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Hospitals are left in an untenable position due to changes in policy by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that are causing hospitals to place patients in observation status for more than 48 hours instead of admitting them, according to an April 27, 2012, amicus brief filed by the American Hospital Association (AHA).
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The publics awareness of the U.S. Senate investigation of Accretive Health, a debt collection company hired by a Minnesota hospital to do registration and upfront collections, has important implications for patient access departments, says Jessica Curtis, director of Boston-based Community Catalysts Hospital Accountability Project.
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It's time to revamp your chemical safety training. An updated Hazard Communication Standard will change labels and safety data sheets on everything from cleaning products and sterilizing agents to hazardous drugs. And it requires employers to train workers on the new system before Dec. 1, 2013.
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Norovirus is the organism most likely to trigger a shutdown of units in your hospital. And according to a recent survey of infection preventionists, it is responsible for more outbreaks than some deadlier organisms, such as Clostridium difficile and Staphylococcus aureus.
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In a "call to action," sharps safety experts are targeting gaps in needlestick prevention and seeking to spur a new commitment to make improvements.
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It will take a culture shift for doctors, nurses and other health care workers to consider fatigue as a major factor in patient and employee safety. But that moment may be a step closer with new guidance on fatigue management in the workplace.
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Trying to protect a patient from a fall may be one of the most dangerous things your employees do. They will put themselves at risk to cushion a patient. And often, that results in a serious musculoskeletal injury.
