Inner Profile

By tomislav wu

 We are going to take a quick look at top Asian destinations for health travel. This will give you a brief overview of what is available and will provide a starting point for deeper research.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, which has been allowed to maintain a high degree of autonomy in all internal matters such as economics and culture. The SAR carries forward its standards for medical treatment from its century-long tenure as a British Crown Colony. It has 12 private hospitals accredited by the UK’s QHA Trent, with several having dual accreditation with JCI. Costs are quite low, being maintained at 20-23% of US costs as a matter of government policy. A medical-government alliance has begun a concerted effort to grow the role of Medical Tourism in Hong Kong. At present about 7% of patient beds are filled by medical tourists, a percentage which is growing rapidly. No visas are required for stays up to 180 days.

India

India is a major player in Medical Tourism, greeting over a million medical tourists per year in 2010. Unlike many countries, India provides a wide range of medical services, with emphasis on heart surgery, joint replacement, bone marrow transplants, and other advanced procedures. At present, 10 major hospitals in India have received JCI accreditation, and the Indian government is actively encouraging international accreditation and improving medical infrastructure problems which currently hinder the rate of growth of Medical Tourism. Medical costs in India are among the lowest in the world at 10-20% of US rates. The most populous democracy in the world, India has a healthy economy and encompasses vast geographical and cultural diversity. Visas are required for entry, but are relatively easy to obtain.

Malaysia

Malaysia will soon welcome nearly a million medical tourists per year to its shores. The country is largely English-speaking, and medical facilities are subject to a strong internal accreditation organization, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health. In addition to national accreditation, many of Malaysia’s better hospitals are also seeking international accreditation. Medical facilities are concentrated largely in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. Medical costs average about 25% of those in the US, depending on a somewhat erratic exchange value for the ringgit. Medical services are expanding from their initial focus on cosmetic surgery to procedures for more serious ailments.

Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines, consisting of thousands of beautiful tropical islands, has been growing as a destination for medical tourism by about 8% per year. There are tight cultural, economic, and political ties between the Philippines and the United States, which may increase the role of the Philippines as a Medical Tourism destination. A substantial proportion of American medical professionals have been trained in the Philippines, reflecting a solid tradition of medical training and culture. The Philippines government has set a goal of attracting about 750,000 medical tourists per year, a goal that seems soon within reach. Medical costs in the Philippines average about 20-25% of US prices.

Singapore

Singapore is considered to have the best health system in Asia, and one of the best in the world. Long an active destination for Medical Tourism (about a million medical tourists per year!), providing medical services to international patients is the primary goal of a multi-agency government-industry partnership. Medical Tourists come from across Asia as well as from around the world. Medical costs are not the lowest, averaging about one-third of US rates, but Singapore’s reputation as a clean, safe, cosmopolitan city-state where English is widely spoken makes the added expense worthwhile to many. A growing number of Singapore’s hospitals are receiving international accreditation, with more than a dozen JCI accreditations as of 2006. A constant tropical rainforest climate makes Singapore a delight at all times of the year.

Thailand

Thailand is perhaps the most active Medical Tourism destination, welcoming around two million medical tourists each year. One hospital alone treated over 50,000 US patients in 2005 at an average cost about 30% that of the US medical system. Nearly any medical procedure can be supplied somewhere in Thailand. Although many Thai physicians and nurses are US or UK trained and hold those professional certifications, the Thai government does not emphasize the role of international accreditation of their hospitals. However, a few of the best private hospitals have obtained JCI accreditation.

Tomislav Wu is an expert advisor on medical tourism and one of administrators of Health Travel Forum.

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By tomislav wu

 We are going to take a quick look at top Asian destinations for health travel. This will give you a brief overview of what is available and will provide a starting point for deeper research.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, which has been allowed to maintain a high degree of autonomy in all internal matters such as economics and culture. The SAR carries forward its standards for medical treatment from its century-long tenure as a British Crown Colony. It has 12 private hospitals accredited by the UK’s QHA Trent, with several having dual accreditation with JCI. Costs are quite low, being maintained at 20-23% of US costs as a matter of government policy. A medical-government alliance has begun a concerted effort to grow the role of Medical Tourism in Hong Kong. At present about 7% of patient beds are filled by medical tourists, a percentage which is growing rapidly. No visas are required for stays up to 180 days.

India

India is a major player in Medical Tourism, greeting over a million medical tourists per year in 2010. Unlike many countries, India provides a wide range of medical services, with emphasis on heart surgery, joint replacement, bone marrow transplants, and other advanced procedures. At present, 10 major hospitals in India have received JCI accreditation, and the Indian government is actively encouraging international accreditation and improving medical infrastructure problems which currently hinder the rate of growth of Medical Tourism. Medical costs in India are among the lowest in the world at 10-20% of US rates. The most populous democracy in the world, India has a healthy economy and encompasses vast geographical and cultural diversity. Visas are required for entry, but are relatively easy to obtain.

Malaysia

Malaysia will soon welcome nearly a million medical tourists per year to its shores. The country is largely English-speaking, and medical facilities are subject to a strong internal accreditation organization, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health. In addition to national accreditation, many of Malaysia’s better hospitals are also seeking international accreditation. Medical facilities are concentrated largely in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. Medical costs average about 25% of those in the US, depending on a somewhat erratic exchange value for the ringgit. Medical services are expanding from their initial focus on cosmetic surgery to procedures for more serious ailments.

Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines, consisting of thousands of beautiful tropical islands, has been growing as a destination for medical tourism by about 8% per year. There are tight cultural, economic, and political ties between the Philippines and the United States, which may increase the role of the Philippines as a Medical Tourism destination. A substantial proportion of American medical professionals have been trained in the Philippines, reflecting a solid tradition of medical training and culture. The Philippines government has set a goal of attracting about 750,000 medical tourists per year, a goal that seems soon within reach. Medical costs in the Philippines average about 20-25% of US prices.

Singapore

Singapore is considered to have the best health system in Asia, and one of the best in the world. Long an active destination for Medical Tourism (about a million medical tourists per year!), providing medical services to international patients is the primary goal of a multi-agency government-industry partnership. Medical Tourists come from across Asia as well as from around the world. Medical costs are not the lowest, averaging about one-third of US rates, but Singapore’s reputation as a clean, safe, cosmopolitan city-state where English is widely spoken makes the added expense worthwhile to many. A growing number of Singapore’s hospitals are receiving international accreditation, with more than a dozen JCI accreditations as of 2006. A constant tropical rainforest climate makes Singapore a delight at all times of the year.

Thailand

Thailand is perhaps the most active Medical Tourism destination, welcoming around two million medical tourists each year. One hospital alone treated over 50,000 US patients in 2005 at an average cost about 30% that of the US medical system. Nearly any medical procedure can be supplied somewhere in Thailand. Although many Thai physicians and nurses are US or UK trained and hold those professional certifications, the Thai government does not emphasize the role of international accreditation of their hospitals. However, a few of the best private hospitals have obtained JCI accreditation.

Tomislav Wu is an expert advisor on medical tourism and one of administrators of Health Travel Forum.

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By tomislav wu

 We are going to take a quick look at top Asian destinations for health travel. This will give you a brief overview of what is available and will provide a starting point for deeper research.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, which has been allowed to maintain a high degree of autonomy in all internal matters such as economics and culture. The SAR carries forward its standards for medical treatment from its century-long tenure as a British Crown Colony. It has 12 private hospitals accredited by the UK’s QHA Trent, with several having dual accreditation with JCI. Costs are quite low, being maintained at 20-23% of US costs as a matter of government policy. A medical-government alliance has begun a concerted effort to grow the role of Medical Tourism in Hong Kong. At present about 7% of patient beds are filled by medical tourists, a percentage which is growing rapidly. No visas are required for stays up to 180 days.

India

India is a major player in Medical Tourism, greeting over a million medical tourists per year in 2010. Unlike many countries, India provides a wide range of medical services, with emphasis on heart surgery, joint replacement, bone marrow transplants, and other advanced procedures. At present, 10 major hospitals in India have received JCI accreditation, and the Indian government is actively encouraging international accreditation and improving medical infrastructure problems which currently hinder the rate of growth of Medical Tourism. Medical costs in India are among the lowest in the world at 10-20% of US rates. The most populous democracy in the world, India has a healthy economy and encompasses vast geographical and cultural diversity. Visas are required for entry, but are relatively easy to obtain.

Malaysia

Malaysia will soon welcome nearly a million medical tourists per year to its shores. The country is largely English-speaking, and medical facilities are subject to a strong internal accreditation organization, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health. In addition to national accreditation, many of Malaysia’s better hospitals are also seeking international accreditation. Medical facilities are concentrated largely in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. Medical costs average about 25% of those in the US, depending on a somewhat erratic exchange value for the ringgit. Medical services are expanding from their initial focus on cosmetic surgery to procedures for more serious ailments.

Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines, consisting of thousands of beautiful tropical islands, has been growing as a destination for medical tourism by about 8% per year. There are tight cultural, economic, and political ties between the Philippines and the United States, which may increase the role of the Philippines as a Medical Tourism destination. A substantial proportion of American medical professionals have been trained in the Philippines, reflecting a solid tradition of medical training and culture. The Philippines government has set a goal of attracting about 750,000 medical tourists per year, a goal that seems soon within reach. Medical costs in the Philippines average about 20-25% of US prices.

Singapore

Singapore is considered to have the best health system in Asia, and one of the best in the world. Long an active destination for Medical Tourism (about a million medical tourists per year!), providing medical services to international patients is the primary goal of a multi-agency government-industry partnership. Medical Tourists come from across Asia as well as from around the world. Medical costs are not the lowest, averaging about one-third of US rates, but Singapore’s reputation as a clean, safe, cosmopolitan city-state where English is widely spoken makes the added expense worthwhile to many. A growing number of Singapore’s hospitals are receiving international accreditation, with more than a dozen JCI accreditations as of 2006. A constant tropical rainforest climate makes Singapore a delight at all times of the year.

Thailand

Thailand is perhaps the most active Medical Tourism destination, welcoming around two million medical tourists each year. One hospital alone treated over 50,000 US patients in 2005 at an average cost about 30% that of the US medical system. Nearly any medical procedure can be supplied somewhere in Thailand. Although many Thai physicians and nurses are US or UK trained and hold those professional certifications, the Thai government does not emphasize the role of international accreditation of their hospitals. However, a few of the best private hospitals have obtained JCI accreditation.

Tomislav Wu is an expert advisor on medical tourism and one of administrators of Health Travel Forum.

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By Allision Kraft

 As one of the largest cities in the world, London is always on the lookout for good nurses but how would you go about getting nursing jobs in this huge city and what sort of things should you be looking for in an agency that supplies nurses?

Firstly, although it may sound an unusual approach you want to look for an agency that seems to care about its clients. If they are taking care of their clients, then you can expect much better working relationships if you start working with one of these, plus it also shows a good degree of professionalism. The best agencies will have dedicated staff just dealing with the larger major clients and you can be sure that these agents will know the industry well. When you are doing your nursing jobs search, check out the client pages and see how they deal with this.

Nursing jobs come in all shapes and sizes and obviously, your nursing job search will have to take this into account, plus other matters like your expected salary, your skill areas and whereabouts you wish to work. London is an enormous city made up of many smaller town-areas and in some of them housing is hugely expensive and travel may take hours and again be quite costly. Some jobs will come with a degree of accommodation and good agents will be able to talk to you about this.

Once you have started looking online for nursing jobs, you can get a good idea of what is out there and what to expect but there is nothing better than a bit of local knowledge. Don’t ever be afraid to call the agencies and just chat to an agent. They’ll be able to tell you all the ins and outs and maybe give you some tips plus; it will get your name known and the agent will be more likely to remember you when they see that ideal job!

The Article is written by nursing2000.co.uk/ providing nurse jobs london and health visitor jobs Services. Visit http://www.nursing2000.co.uk/ for more information on nursing2000.co.uk/Products & Services

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By Kathy McCoy

 Appeals are a normal part of the medical billing process, but that doesnt make them less frustrating or time-consuming. There are steps you can take, however, to make the appeals process much smoother and more profitable for your practice.

First, take a birds eye view and review your most commonly denied claims, prioritizing both for volume and dollar value. You want to use this information to focus your attention where its going to benefit your practice the most. You should also know the cost of appealing claimsthat will help you prioritize those claims that will net the most for your practice and will also help everyone in your office understand the importance of eliminating denials before they occur whenever possible.

Be sure your appeals process also addresses priority by payer deadlines:

1. Prioritize by shortest deadlines, then by largest amount due.

2. Draft and distribute a list of payer deadlines to insure your appeals are filed in a timely manner.

Next, develop a standard process for addressing the most common denials that represent the most revenue for your practice:

1. Develop a letter template that can be quickly generated and sent for each appeal.

2. Consider designating specific staff members to handle particular denials so that they can develop expertise in that area and learn to expedite the appeals. Make sure your staff is cross-trained so that denials arent delayed by a staff members absence.

Each appeal letter should include key information:

1. Patient name and demographics, insurance account numbers and employer information

2. Date of service

3. The CPT and ICD-9 codes

4. A short, clear explanation of what you are appealing (denial, underpayment) and why (explain medical necessity, authorization received, etc.)

Use your template or a checklist to ensure you include all of this key informationits easy to leave an item off in the rush of the business day. Make sure you scan supporting materials so that you can easily find and attach them to the appeal letter.

Of course, one of the key steps in the process is to evaluate your most common denials so that you can eliminate them before they occur, as mentioned above. You will want to evaluate your report of most commonly denied claims to make sure you are addressing root causes and avoid the need to appeal to begin with.

If you are using Kareo, you can generate denial management reports that group your denials and rejections by reason and dollar amount, trended over time. This helps you identify frequently recurring denials and rejections that can be addressed through process changes in your practice. For example, if youre routinely receiving denials because the patient is ineligible for insurance coverage, then you may want to begin verifying each patients insurance eligibility prior to scheduling appointments.

But regardless of how you do it, spend time organizing your claims appeal efforts to insure you:

1. Eliminate root causes of denials wherever possible.

2. Prioritize your appeals to insure you are pursuing the highest dollar return.

3. Standardize your process so that it is as efficient as possible.

These steps will enable you to improve the productivity and profitability of your appeal processes, your medical billing, and ultimately your practice or billing service.

Kathy McCoy is VP of Marketing for Kareo, a leading provider of practice management and medical billing software. She has over 16 years of experience in healthcare marketing, with more than 30 years experience in marketing total. Ms. McCoy holds a BA from California State University, Fullerton and an MBA from the University of Redlands.

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