ATLANTA, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Today's pathology practices face increasing billing complexities. Coding regulations are complicated, and penalties can be stiff if errors are made. Some physician groups miss valuable reimbursement revenue for certain services because they don't have the capacity or resources to bill for them electronically.
South Valley Pathology Associates in Bakersfield, CA, was one such group. With three full-time physicians, a small technical team and a three-person business office staff, South Valley was performing at an acceptable level while its billing was managed by an internal business manager. But when it made the switch to Orion HealthCorp, a leading medical billing and practice management company, it began to realize what it had been missing.
"Orion made us aware of revenue opportunities we didn't know existed," said Dr. Bruce Swinyer, medical director of the practice. "We never collected for clinical services (blood draws and testing), because the lab operates independent of us. Orion showed us how we could begin collecting for those services as well as for the anatomical (tissue) pathology services we perform. That has made a huge difference for us. We have streamlined our billing processes and optimized reimbursement."
40% reimbursement increase in 2011Typically, smaller pathology practices don't have the ability to bill for clinical services because the charges are sent electronically and the individual collections are small, so handling them manually usually costs more than the actual reimbursement. Orion has the software capabilities and the expertise to do the job correctly. With the addition of clinical collections and increased collections for anatomical services with Orion, the practice's reimbursement from Medicare and private insurers grew by 40% in 2011, a record year for the practice.
Also, since partnering with Orion in 2010, Dr. Swinyer says he has greater insight into how the business side of the practice is performing. That is extremely important in today's economy. "Orion's e-mail month-end statement of collections and weekly updates on collected revenue are a great asset," he said. "Also, being able to see revenue broken out by anatomical and clinical pathology services is very helpful."
Transparency into vital signs"They established credibility from the outset," he said. "And when they showed me their reporting capabilities and the visibility provided into our practice, I knew it was going to be a good match."
Osmium(SM), Orion's Business Intelligence (BI) tool that provides transparency into the practice's vital signs, makes much of that visibility possible. It puts data in relevant form so Dr. Swinyer can see precisely, in real time, how the practice is performing and how Orion is performing while identifying opportunities for improvement and future growth.
"We know Osmium is a valuable tool, but it is always good to see it validated in the marketplace this way, and to see the value it is providing Dr. Swinyer's practice," said Dale Brinkman, president of Orion Rand and Orion Western Skies Billing. "We work hard at Orion to see that our clients are satisfied, and this is proof positive that we are doing the job right."
Today, the practice's billing is handled much more professionally and objectively, giving Dr. Swinyer a new-found confidence. He is also lab director at a smaller hospital in Kern Valley. With his busy schedule, he appreciates knowing that the business side of the practice is in good hands with Orion.
According to Dr. Swinyer, Orion delivers benefits to the practice at every level. "Not only does their billing yield strong results, but they are also exceptionally responsive to our requests," he said. "Their team is extremely approachable, and I feel very comfortable dealing with them. It's a great partnership, and I have peace of mind knowing that our practice is running smoothly."
See the article here:
California Pathology Practice Increases Reimbursement by 40%
- New Facebook Group for Pre-Med and Medical Students Considering Pathology - April 5th, 2010 [April 5th, 2010]
- Virtual Cytology Catalog from i-Path - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Mobile technologies will enable patient-centered care, PwC report says - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- EMRs a 'double-edged sword' for physician communication - April 9th, 2010 [April 9th, 2010]
- FROM THE DARK REPORT and DARK DAILY: Negotiating Pathology Part A Reimbursement with Hospitals: Why the Performance-Based Approach Opens the Door to Increased Value - April 10th, 2010 [April 10th, 2010]
- iPerio - Thoughts about portability of digital pathology practice - April 12th, 2010 [April 12th, 2010]
- ASCP Board of Directors Names New Executive Vice President - April 13th, 2010 [April 13th, 2010]
- Virginia Company Develops Automated TB Detection System - April 13th, 2010 [April 13th, 2010]
- Now on Facebook - April 14th, 2010 [April 14th, 2010]
- Hospitals test iPad for patient education - April 15th, 2010 [April 15th, 2010]
- Consult A Doctor, Inc. Names Retail Clinic Pioneer, Douglas Smith, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer - April 16th, 2010 [April 16th, 2010]
- PathXL: Cloud Computing for Virtual Microscopy - April 19th, 2010 [April 19th, 2010]
- CAP and ASCO Release New ER/PR Testing Guideline - April 20th, 2010 [April 20th, 2010]
- What is the real cost of healthcare? - April 20th, 2010 [April 20th, 2010]
- CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Medicine 2.0’10: 3rd World Congress on Social Media and Web 2.0 in Health, Medicine, and Biomedical Research on November 29-30, 2010 in Maastricht, The Netherlands. - April 21st, 2010 [April 21st, 2010]
- Blood Test Meant To Analyze Genetic Activity Could Replace Biopsies After Heart Transplantation - April 23rd, 2010 [April 23rd, 2010]
- New Digital Pathology Blog - Digital Pathology Insights from Definiens - April 26th, 2010 [April 26th, 2010]
- World's Smallest, Lightest Telemedicine Microscope - April 27th, 2010 [April 27th, 2010]
- ATA 2010 Meeting Announcement - April 28th, 2010 [April 28th, 2010]
- ASCP 2010 Annual Meeting Digital Pathology Course Offerings - April 29th, 2010 [April 29th, 2010]
- Announcement for Upcoming Aperio Digital Pathology Seminars in Chicago and Cleveland - May 4th, 2010 [May 4th, 2010]
- Will Pathology PACS eliminate injuries or cause different ones? - May 5th, 2010 [May 5th, 2010]
- Axillary Node Dissection, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy May Pose More Harm Than Good In Patients With Pure DCIS - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Hospital's Emergency Room Use of Telemedicine through Webcam - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Dr. Alexander R. Judkins Named Department Head of Pathology Laboratory Medicine at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - May 10th, 2010 [May 10th, 2010]
- Case of the Week 51 - May 11th, 2010 [May 11th, 2010]
- Telestroke has another success - May 12th, 2010 [May 12th, 2010]
- Amazon's Kindle Showing Promise as Means to Access Medical Literature - May 12th, 2010 [May 12th, 2010]
- "This is what your healthcare is going to look like" - May 13th, 2010 [May 13th, 2010]
- Comments open - May 15th, 2010 [May 15th, 2010]
- Errata and miscellaneous news - May 16th, 2010 [May 16th, 2010]
- Up-to-date News from BioImagene - May 16th, 2010 [May 16th, 2010]
- Case of the Week 52 - May 19th, 2010 [May 19th, 2010]
- “This is what your healthcare is going to look like.” - May 19th, 2010 [May 19th, 2010]
- CBLPath Announces Department of Integrated Diagnostics - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- A CEO’s Guide to Molecular Diagnostic Reimbursement: Navigating the Many Challenges of Reimbursement and Commercialization - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Abstracts Solicited for the Pathology Informatics 2010 Conference in Boston on 19-22 Septembe - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Telecytopathology for immediate evaluation of fine-needle aspiration specimens - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Definiens Digital Pathology Webinar Announcement: SOX2 Evaluation in NSCLC using Definiens Tissue Studio - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Who is on your "A team"? - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- PATHOLOGY VISIONS ABSTRACT DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JUNE 15 - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- First edition of Journal of Pathology Informatics has been published! - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- BioImagene to show its digital pathology solutions at European Congress - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Hastings Center Report - Medical Tourism - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences Selects Definiens Software For Liver Toxicology Study - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Definiens Invites Speakers for First International Definiens Symposium this October in Spain - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- CMS issues NPRM to credential telemedicine - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Get ready for global location numbers - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Penn State Virtual Microscopy - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- What if a Ritz-Carlton executive ran your hospital? - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Inks Deal with BioImagene - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Flagship Biosciences makes training courses available - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Opportunity at ChemImage for Histopathology Algorithm Scientist - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Pathology Visions Announces Keynote Speaker; Abstract Deadline Extended - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Let's Go Hawks - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Case of the Week 53 - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Case of the Week 54 - June 14th, 2010 [June 14th, 2010]
- Thoughts on How Digital Pathology Will Usher in New Era of Personalized Medicine - June 15th, 2010 [June 15th, 2010]
- Webinar from CRi on Quantitating Multiple Protein Expression in Intact Tissue - June 15th, 2010 [June 15th, 2010]
- Eye-Candy: Detection of Crypt Volume and Ki67 nuclear biomarkers using Definiens XD - June 16th, 2010 [June 16th, 2010]
- Image Analysis as a Tool for Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers in Breast Cancer – How Reliable Is It? - June 17th, 2010 [June 17th, 2010]
- CAP Pathologist Service Spotlight Award Announced - June 19th, 2010 [June 19th, 2010]
- Compelling Results from SOX2 Expression Analysis Study in NSCLC using Definiens Tissue Studio - June 19th, 2010 [June 19th, 2010]
- Dako and Omnyx Sign Agreement within Digital Pathology - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- Precision breast panel analysis with the Ventana VIAS Image System - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- Scientists Create 3D Models of Whole Mouse Organs - June 24th, 2010 [June 24th, 2010]
- Is the iPad Radiology's Dream Device For Mobile Healthcare? - June 24th, 2010 [June 24th, 2010]
- Pathology Informatics 2010 - Sept 19-22, Boston, MA - Mark your Calendars - June 27th, 2010 [June 27th, 2010]
- www.GoPathDx.com - June 28th, 2010 [June 28th, 2010]
- Case of the Week 55 - June 28th, 2010 [June 28th, 2010]
- S.C. Medical Board considers anatomic pathology services arrangements - June 29th, 2010 [June 29th, 2010]
- Online Pathology: Moving Forward, Standing Still - July 1st, 2010 [July 1st, 2010]
- Aurora Interactive and PLUS Diagnostics Enters Into a Deal to Power Pathology Labs With Digital Communications Technology - July 1st, 2010 [July 1st, 2010]
- Laboratory Automation White Paper:Achieving Best Practices with Total Laboratory Automation - July 5th, 2010 [July 5th, 2010]
- Update on Rules for Telemedicine Privileges - July 6th, 2010 [July 6th, 2010]
- CAP Virtual Management Conference Now in Webinar Format - July 7th, 2010 [July 7th, 2010]
- http://imasence.com/Dokumente/WSI%20DICOM%20PACS%20Compression%20TIGA.pdf - July 8th, 2010 [July 8th, 2010]
- Beth Israel Pathologists Press for Personalized Medicine Training - July 9th, 2010 [July 9th, 2010]
- Blood smear reveals popular video game character - July 12th, 2010 [July 12th, 2010]
- Webinar Announcement – Introducing: Definiens Tissue Studio 2.0 - July 13th, 2010 [July 13th, 2010]