By tomislav wu
We are going to take a quick look at four countries, scattered across the Latin America, which make up some of the primary destinations for Medical Tourism. In this way, you can gather a basic picture of what is available on the international scene. You need much more information than is provided here to make a decision, but here is your starting point.
Brazil
Brazil, once known mainly for its international practice in plastic surgery, is now actively seeking a wider role in Medical Tourism. More medical facilities have been accredited by the JCI in Brazil than in any country other than the United States and Singapore. In 2005, nearly 50,000 medical tourists visited Brazil - a number that is growing rapidly. Portuguese-speaking Brazil has quite a European feel, with about half of the population having primarily European roots. Medical costs in Brazil are about half of those found in the United States - not the least expensive, but Brazil does have active legal protection against malpractice and fraud. The standard and style of care are quite similar to that encountered in Western facilities, with several hospitals in Sao Paolo being considered among the world’s finest. Brazil requires visas for American visitors as reciprocation for the US requirement that Brazilian tourists have visas.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, the only Latin American country counted among the world’s 22 older democracies, has been a popular Medical Tourism destination for cosmetic surgery and dental care for the United States, attracting over 20,000 medical tourists each year to Central America. San Jose is gaining favor as a destination for more intensive medical care, having 6 private hospitals (3 of which have JCI accreditation) and 22 public hospitals. The cost of medical procedures and aftercare services are about 30-40% of US prices. The largely volcanic geography lends to a marvelous ecotourism experience. No visas are required for stays up to 90 days.
Mexico
The proximity of Mexico to the United States makes it a primary destination for Medical Tourism, even though the costs are not as low as are found elsewhere in the world. Dental care is a major goal, as most procedures can be accomplished during a day trip just across the border. Medical costs are generally 25-35% of the equivalent US costs. Although Mexico’s laws make bring suit for malpractice extraordinarily difficult, about 90% report that the care received in Mexico was good or excellent - a better report than received by the American health system! The close integration of the border region economies makes determination of the number of Americans seeking medical treatment in Mexico difficult, but it is clear that the number is in the millions and growing rapidly.
Panama
Panama has remarkable tourist attractions, a thoroughly Americanized culture and economy, and has the safest and most modern capital city in Central America. Given the proximity to the United States, it is not surprising that the role of Panama as a Medical Tourism destination is rapidly growing. English is widely spoken, and Panama’s doctors are largely US-trained. At present, only a few thousand medical tourists visit Panama per year, partially because the medical costs are relatively high for a Medical Tourism destination - about 50% of US rates. However, the lack of culture shock in the Medical Tourism experience is worth the additional expense to a growing number of international patients.
Tomislav Wu is an expert advisor on health tourism and regular contributor to Medical Tourism Blog.
Overcoming Challenges in Medical Billing: The Appeals Process
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.
Acquiring CSCS Cards
By Rachael Underwoode
Employers, contractors, and customers need to maintain work areas so that are very safe to be around. Many lawsuits have been created by unsafe work environments and many accidents have occurred due to mistakes contractors and employees have made on job sites. For this reason, many companies and contractors are protecting themselves today by making all employees acquire CSCS cards.
There are many different types of CSCS cards available today though. The card you need to acquire will depend on the type of occupation or worksite you are hoping to access. Once you have a CSCS card in your possession, you will be able to prove to employers and customers that you are a qualified and knowledgeable construction employee.
Overall, CSCS cards have dramatically improved the safety and the quality of work found within the construction industry. Before these cards were mandated, practically anyone could work in this industry without any verifications of their skills or knowledge being required. The lack of knowledge and skill employees maintained at this time often led to many accidents that were completely avoidable if the workers had been well educated about proper safety procedures within the construction industry.
There are many different types of cards you can acquire today. There are cards available for individuals who are just starting to learn about the construction industry and there are cards available for individuals who are veteran managers within the construction industry. There are even cards available for employees who commonly visit construction sites, like delivery drivers.
So, before you apply for your new card, you should certainly review the different types of cards that are available in order to select the right card for you. If you are simply going through training courses right now, you may want to look into acquiring a trainee card. If you have just recently passed a construction exam that makes you more qualified than you used to be, you should certainly look into the cards that match your level of expertise within the construction industry.
In order to acquire your card, you must first complete a few basic steps. These steps are needed to prove your skills as well as your knowledge. These steps are also necessary in order to prove that you have the qualifications that are necessary to acquire specific types of cards.
There are some organisations in business today that can assist you with this entire process. For some people, the process of acquiring CSCS cards can be fairly confusing and difficult in general. If you would like to make this process much easier to manage, and even much faster, you may want to think about utilising one of these services. In some cases you may also have to complete an exam to display the amount of knowledge you have about health and safety procedures within the construction industry.
So, in order to acquire your CSCS card, you may want to simply contact a company that helps individuals acquire these cards quickly and easily. Once you contact one of these companies, they will likely question you about your qualifications and assess which type of card you need. Once you have selected the type of card you need, and you have passed the required health and safety exams, you are ready to apply for your new card.
CSCS Cards
CSCS Card Test
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Billing errors can cost your practice thousands every day, but finding the time to address them on an organized basis probably seems daunting. And yet, in reality its a simple process and one well worth the time you spend on it. Plus, with audits by Medicare looming large in everyones windshield, improving your processes now could prevent many headaches down the road.
