Hospital Access Management articles from April 2002

Hospital Access Management archives from April 2002

Don't delay, HIPAA expert cautions; use extension to work with vendors; extra time isn't automatic -- you have to file request.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
April 1, 2002... Despite a bill extending the deadline for implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's (HIPAA) electronic data interchange (EDI) provisions from Oct. 16, 2002, to Oct. 16, 2003, don't just assume you have the...

Exhaustive record review fuels law firm's approach; willingness to take appeals to `next level' is key.
April 1, 2002... Hospitals only can go so far in reversing payment denials until they're willing to arbitrate, contends Linda Fotheringill, partner in a Towson, MD, law firm whose specialty is using the principles of contract law to get hospitals paid. The...

On-line discharge system is effective tool for access; payer communication enhanced.
April 1, 2002... A new on-line reservations and booking system is streamlining the discharge process at New York Hospital of Queens in Flushing, where case managers are using the software tool to determine the availability of post-acute services, then request...

What's in a name? Losing `access'; most say `access' is not precise enough. (Access Feedback).
April 1, 2002... The question posed in the March issue of Hospital Access Management regarding the viability of "patient access services" as the name for those departments that, among other things, handle admitting and patient registration, drew more response...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2002... The technology used to create the bed management database featured in the cover story of the March 2002 issue of Hospital Access Management was IBM Websphere and DB2 -- not Oracle, says Marne Bonomo, PhD, regional director for Aurora Health...

Insurance industry trend may push POS collection; unprepared hospitals `will be vulnerable'. (Access Feedback).
April 1, 2002... Two recent studies may be harbingers of changes in health care coverage that could affect how access departments do business. Those changes, suggest a veteran health care professional, could mean higher deductibles and a pressing need for more...

`Improper payments' declined, OIG says.(Office of the Inspector General)
April 1, 2002... What the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) characterizes as improper payments under the Medicare program declined for the sixth straight year in 2001, according to a report from the Department of Health Human Services. The improper...

Report outlines planning by hospitals for bioterror.
April 1, 2002... Financial and capacity shortfalls have hospitals concerned about being overwhelmed by a major bioterrorism attack, even though they are devoting significant resources to prepare for possible attacks. That's the conclusion of a white paper...

AHA pushes for change in EMTALA regulations.(American Hospital Association; Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act)
April 1, 2002... Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) screening regulations should be changed to differentiate between critical and noncritical patients, according to a hospital administrator testifying on behalf of the American Hospital...

Patient satisfaction rates dropped in Sept. 11 week.
April 1, 2002... Patient satisfaction with health care services fell sharply during the week of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a recent study by Press, Ganey Associates. However, patient evaluations returned to normal levels the following week....

`Reach for the Stars' at NAHAM conference.(National Association of Healthcare Access Management conference)
April 1, 2002... The National Association of Healthcare Access Management's (NAHAM) annual conference and exposition will take place May 19-21 at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. "Reach for the Stars: Achieving Excellence in Patient Access...

2002 reader survey.
April 1, 2002... In an effort to learn more about the professionals who read Hospital Access Management, we are conducting this reader survey. The results will be used to enhance the content and format of the publication. Please mark the appropriate...