Medical Billing Products in Press (June - July 2006)

Medical Billing technology has witnessed continued expansion during the first two months of this summer, as evidenced by press releases about some ninety products accumulated in BillingWiki. A practice manager may find it difficult to select the best product from such a large product variety. This article roughly tabulates some eighty-five press releases about medical billing technology products and/or vendors across two-dozen service categories.

Asset Life Cycle Management: Products that help healthcare organizations optimize the performance of their capital assets, uncover hidden expenses, gain more visibility and control over their asset and fac
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Important Things to Know about Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Testing

While alcohol consumption is considered to be a recreational activity for adults, it can carry with it potential health hazards including dependence, addiction, liver damage and all kinds of different accidents. Alcohol test kits can help put a stop to irresponsible drinking, and reduces the amount of workplace accidents, drunk driving arrests and accidents and binge drinking-related deaths.

Signs of Alcohol Abuse

Someone under the influence of alcohol typically exhibits very characteristic signs including glassy eyes, irritability, memory loss, decreased hygiene, job performance and school performance, argumentative behavior and decline in relationships.

Signs
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Managing Diabetes Made Easier

The management of diabetes is progressively evolving. The latest medical and technological advances-including ones involving the Internet-have begun providing the 18.2 million Americans affected by this disease with the kind of freedom few dreamed of not all that long ago.

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body doesn't produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert glucose into energy. Since over time the high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes-the nation's fifth-leading cause of death by disease-can lead to complications of the eyes, blood vessels, n
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Medical Coding Schools Teach Vital Skills for a New Career

Medical Coding Schools train professionals in all aspects of medical and health care insurance claims processes. Studies to become a Medical Coding Specialist include medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, medical law, ethics, coding and billing, and administrative techniques, as well as the universal medical coding language.

Future Medical Coding Professionals are taught how to assign a specific numeric code to each service provided to a patient, including: symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and prescribed treatments. Medical coding helps the insurance company determine which services were administered by the care provider, so the correct reimbursement can be made.
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Why Get organized? 8 Simple Reasons

More Time.

Good records provide facts necessary to shorten the time it takes to do almost anything. Easily resolve an issue, file insurance claims, collect government benefits, prepare income tax returns,order a pizza or find something when you need it.

More Money.

Good records provide proof of agreements made and costs paid. Spend less replacing things you misplaced or repairing things you never had time to maintain.

Less Chaos.

If or when someone makes a mistake or official records ar
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Mobile Phone Theft Increasing Across The UK

According to the latest research from Halifax Home Insurance claims, 390 million a year is lost in Britain due to the theft of mobile phones. With the average handset costing more than 100, it is perhaps not surprising that there are more than 2 million stolen in the UK every year.

This level of phone theft accounts for one in ten crimes in London alone, and equates to one theft across the country every 12 seconds, with an average insurance claim of 300 per stolen handset. Lancaster wins the prize for the number of mobile phone thefts ho
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Security Camera System: Save Money on Insurance Premiums While Securing The Fort

Maintaining your home security doesn't have to be a full-time job. However it is still very necessary to plan ahead to insure that any loophole is addressed from the onset rather than discovered later when it potentially too late.

The benefits of having a well planned out security system will also have an effect on your insurance claims. For example you can have discounted premiums on your insurance if you have certain security functions including CCTV or sentry alarm systems. But before we get into the details lets start with the basics.

You
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Time Management in the Medical Billing Workplace

Managing your time at your job is essential to getting projects accomplished. Most people work for a paycheck, not considering how important their actual job duty may be to their employer.

Prioritizing your work is the first key to managing your time. First of all, if you have deadlines for certain tasks, you need to meet them.

Using a 1-31 file is extremely helpful for daily tasks. For example, if you are researching information, a 1-31 file can be extremely helpful. First get 31 file folders and number them 1 through 31.

The Incredibles (DVD) Review

Nominated for four Academy Awards, and winner of Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, The Incredibles is one of the best animated films ever produced. A cross between Toy Story, Superman, and Office Space, it provides an endless array of action sequences, visual creativity, and well-delivered humor. Director Brad Bird (who's directed a few episodes of The Simpsons) not only creates a memorable film, but also voices one of the star characters of The Incredibles, Edna Mode. And following in the rich tradition of animated classics such Bambi (1942), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and The
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Auto Glass Repair

This article provides useful, detailed information about Auto Glass Repair.

Automobile glass repair or windshield repair is quite a recent innovation when compared to the history of automobile. Repairing auto glass usually takes less than 30 minutes, as most windshields these days are laminated with multiple layers of glass. Laminated glass keeps a damaged windshield intact, which makes it easy for the technician to remove the air in the damaged area and replace it with a resin. Auto glass is an important structural component of a vehicle; therefore, one should insist on quality installation when
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"Protecting Genetic Privacy: Why It is So Hard to Do"

Mark Rothstein began his presentation by assuring the audience, "Although it will be more complicated than most people imagine, protecting genetic privacy and confidentiality is a worthy goal." Steps taken toward this goal so far, however, he characterized as misguided and simplistic. Before explaining this position further, he gave the audience useful background information on relevant issues.

Rothstein defined "privacy" as the limited access to a person, the right to be let alone, and the right to keep certain information from disclosure to other individuals.

"Confidentiality," he said, is the right of an individual to
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How to Avoid Work at Home Scams

Many people are looking for a new career where they can work at home and still make money. Search the Internet for work at home jobs, and you will be overwhelmed with the number of websites.

However, there are several work at home scams floating around on the Internet that you need to watch out for. Here are few things to avoid as you look for a legitimate work at home job.

First, beware of jobs that promise you can get rich quickly. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably
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Identity Theft is a Major Problem: Whose Responsibility is It to Protect the Consumer?

We have heard a lot about consumers personal information getting into the hands of identity thieves. More and more people are taking steps to minimize their exposure to such theft by reducing information on personal checks, refusing to share social security numbers with just anyone who asks, being prudent in their use of credit cards, and shredding junk mail that might allow another person to pose as them. However, we can do little to protect ourselves against lackadaisical security methods or unscrupulous business practices.

Because recent reports confirm that personal information continues to fall into the wrong
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Jamaican Overdrive - LDC's and LCD's

OverDrive - an e-commerce, software conversion and e-publishing applications leader - has just expanded an e-book technology centre by adding 200 e-book editors. This happened in Montego Bay, Jamaica - one of the less privileged spots on earth. The centre now provides a vertical e-publishing service - from manuscript editing to conversion to Quark (for POD), Adobe, and MS Reader ebook formats. Thus, it is not confined to the classic sweatshop cum production centre so common in Less Developed Countries (LDC's). It is a full fledged operation with access to cutting edge technology.

The Jamaican
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Home And Contents Insurance. Poor Maintenance Can Invalidate Your Cover.

Most home and contents insurance claims proceed smoothly, except perhaps for occasional disagreements about how much something was worth. But another re-occurring difficulty is where damage is due to poor building maintenance. The homeowner has a duty of care and the insurers take a dim view of claims that the homeowner could, and should have, avoided. AS a result insurers may scale down or even reject your claim.

To avoid such problems you should give your house an annual Maintenance MOT. A springtime check would be good. By carrying out just a few simple checks, it
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Technology Outsourcing and Domestic Consequences

The increase of human capital in developing countries has impacted the United States workforce through domestic firms increasing overseas subcontracting. The industries specializing in information technology have been utilizing this increase of foreign human capital the most. From a study of 179 IT managers a reported 69% outsource their information technology services (Outsourcing statistics). This extremely high number shows the trend of the industry, and if countries like India, who is becoming the forerunner of outsource operations, continue to become more efficient and economical, that number may become even higher. The question is whether or not the foreign IT
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What Goes Into Determining My Auto Premium?

Insurance companies consider many factors before they provide you with an auto insurance quote. Here is some of the basic information that goes into compiling your auto quote:

Age: Insurance companies like older more experienced drivers. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), 16 to 19 years olds are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a car crash. Premiums tend to decrease as the young driver ages.

Type of Car: Brand new, expensive, fast cars are more expensive to insure than older, slower cars. Check to see
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Choosing the Right Medical Billing for Your Company

A medical billing service is a company that takes over the nasty job of collecting money so that the doctors office doesnt have to do it. So, then, choosing the right medical billing for your company can mean a lot when it comes to revenue. The right company will keep a doctors offices receivables at the maximum level while maintaining a consistent flow of cash. So, in order to keep things running smoothly in the office, you must make sure you choose the right medical billing service for the office.

The first step in choosing the right
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Auto Accident Factoids

Accidents, personal injuries and insurance claims are here to stay. No matter how far into the 21st Century Americans elect to drive (unless by the beginning of the 22nd Century were all zipping around in our own personal space ship) motor vehicle accidents will continue to pile up; with no end in sight!

• There are more than 200,000,000 licensed drivers in the United States. (As of 2003 were close to a yearly 7 million motor vehicle accidents, involving well over 3.5 million injuries).

• Car accident crashes cost
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Insurance Software

Insurance software can be tailored to meet the needs of any business from small home offices, Third Party Administrators (TPA) to large administrators and insurance management companies. The three listed below are the most widely used and can be found in stores or on the Internet.

Individual health and life insurance software can support a range of life insurance and health insurance products. It should offer fully, integrated support for underwriting, new business processing, policy services, insurance billing, agent advances and agent commissions, insurance claims processing, management and statutory reporting, reserves, accounting, and more.

Group
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Private Investigator Surveillance Techniques: Top 10 Tips

I am a part-time private investigator and have been for several years. A great deal of what I do involves surveillance from my vehicle. The cases I generally work involve insurance claims for injuries and infidelity issues.

Concerning the insurance claims, there is rarely a case where I don't find dirt on someone. I just worked a case where a young man went out with a back injury after 4 days on the job. On the 2nd day of surveillance, I found him skateboarding.

I would like to share 10 surveillance/investigation techniques
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The Leading Causes for Insurance Claims and What You Can Do About Them

Why home owners file insurance claims? The answer to this question is obvious; because of some kind of loss. Do you know what the leading reason property owners filed claims with their insurance companies? According to c 2005 fact book the answer is Fire and lightning counting for 32.42% of all loss claims. The second leading cause of damage claims is Wind with 22.8 % followed in third by Water damage with 21.74% and finally theft with 4.54%(these figures are based on 5 year averages from 1999 to 2003). What does this mean? It means
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10-step Guide to Financial Stability - Checklist To Being A Money-Wise Widow

Nobody likes to think about losing a loved one, and often when it occurs, we have no idea where to turn.

If you are not prepared, the paperwork will hit you after your spouse's death in an apparently overhwelming deluge. It is tough to get through it even when you are prepared. A to-do list is prepared for you here.

1. Get a grip on your assets. Find out what you have to work with by gathering copies of your joint tax records for the past five years, records of both your husband'
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Can Medical Factoring Help Your Healthcare Company's Cash Flow?

Most healthcare businesses have to wait between 15 to 150 days to get claims paid by private insurance, Medicare/Medicaid and HMOs. Although most payments are made in 15 to 45 days, a simple change in billing codes or a request for additional documentation can add weeks or months to the expected payment date of a medical claim.

However, if you own a healthcare practice, DME, hospital or testing center you have expenses that must be paid like clockwork. Payroll needs to be met. Rent needs to be paid. Equipment must be bought. Not surprisingly, all these
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Louisiana Insurance Lawyers

Although Louisiana is a part of the United States, its legal system is different other states. So you need to be careful before filing a lawsuit in the state of Louisiana. You can easily find lawyers dealing with insurance cases by surfing the Internet or consulting your friends, or you can seek the advice of fresh law graduates about a competent insurance lawyer and his fees. You can then contact the lawyer and, after settling the charges, get a written contract so as to avoid any future misunderstanding.

A good insurance lawyer can help you if the
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Steering Wheel and Pain

Do you have hand and wrist pain when you drive your car? Did you ever wish the steering wheel would turn as easy as when there was real power steering? Do you know the difference between power steering and power assist?

When you drive for a short or long distance do your hands, wrists and elbows ache? You can have tendonitis, arthritis or any kind of joint and tendon disease.

Computers are notorious for creating these problems and we have to live with them on a day to day basis.

I want to
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Insurance - Hints and Tips

There are several ways to reduce your Insurance Premiums, and by implementing these methods you can save yourself thousands a year.

Excess

Most claims are subject to an excess which is stipulated in your policy. If you opt for a higher excess, your monthly premiums will be less. In an average policy the excess is usually between 750 and 1000. If you make your excess 2000, you will also protect your no-claim bonus, by not claiming for small amounts during the year, which will result in your premiums being lowered the following year.

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Insurance Rate Methods

The price of insurance depends ultimately on the risk the insurer is taking on on behalf of the customer. Simply put, this will depend on the chance of the insured event occurring, and the likely cost of the outcome. The way insurers calculate this risk, and quantify the amount of the premium, is through the use of what is known as actuarial science. Using certain probability and statistical mathematical models, the insurance company can predict with a fair degree of accuracy, the approximate cost of future claims.

For example, supposing a someone wishes to insure their $100,
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Let Marketing Manage Your Website Content

The definition of the phrase Content Management depends on what the organization may need or a vendor may offer. There is no general purpose or standard content management system that can satisfy today's diverse business needs across the board. And so, factors for successfully implementing a content management system vary depending on individual business needs.

Conducting a thorough assessment of an organization's specific business application or processes prior to installation is one of the keys to implementing a successful content management system. The use of content management systems or CMS could help businesses optimize their
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Hurricane Katrina And The Impact On Real Estate Prices

In the wake of Hurricane Katrinas wide path of destruction, the real estate market will be affected perhaps in ways not fully understood or expected. If recent hurricane recovery history holds true there will be several good things to come out of all destruction. Lets hope so as those who live in the Delta region have suffered immensely.

In September 1989, a strong category 4 hurricane by the name of Hugo made landfall in the Charleston, SC area. Up to that time it was the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Camille whacked the Gu
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Submitting Medical Insurance Claims Which Form Do I Use?

When it comes to submitting medical insurance claims to the insurance companies, it is important to file the claims on the appropriate forms. The most common medical insurance form is the HCFA 1500.

The HCFA 1500 form is a 8 by 11 white paper printed with red ink. It contains many fields that must be completed. In an effort to standardize the medical industry, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) mandated that all medical service providers use the HCFA 1500 form when submitting insurance claims.

It is crucial that the fields on
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How To Avoid Flood Damaged Sports Cars

A sports car that has been flooded is likely to experience numerous difficulties that will shorten its lifespan.

Among the risks is the greater likelihood of significant rust problems. A previously soaked interior lends itself to rusting out floorboards and other often hidden spots.

More importantly, however, are the very real mechanical problems that can come about due to the flooding of a sports car. If water levels reached a high enough point, it is possible that grit, grime and water entered the engine and exhaust system. The residue can significantly impair performance and can s
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RV Insurance Coverage for Common Claims

You must have RV insurance coverage because it is the law and also because it will give you a peace of mind that your investment will be protected. RV insurance coverage is more comprehensive than regular automobile coverage because it also covers the specialized parts of a recreational vehicle. There are many different claims that RV owners may have to make over the life of their recreational vehicle, but here are some of the more common claims using RV insurance coverage:

Awnings and Slide outs-Because many people are not accustomed to driving with an extra half
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Florida Accident Lawyers

There are many lawyers in the state of Florida who have been helping the people of the state stand up for their rights against those who are causing them injury. It could be from a traffic accident, accidents at the workplace or accidents in a badly constructed house, the victim suffers physical injury, mental trauma, as well as financial loss.

The rich can afford lawyers to defend their cases and bully the victims into not filing a case. Even the insurance companies put pressure on them to not go to court and make an out of cour
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When in Doubt California home sellers should make a complete disclosure

Property Condition - Sellers What to Expect During the Inspection Process The Transfer Disclosure Statement (T.D.S.) Perhaps the most important paper you will complete when selling your home

Most sellers (other than institutional type) are required by law to disclose facts and defects, which materially affect the value or desirability of their home. The Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) helps the seller meet this requirement by providing a standardized format for most basic information. If the seller does not fully disclose, the buyer will be able to cancel the escrow, or worse find out after es
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Homeowner's Insurance and Vacancy: Protecting Your Home While You're Away

Homeowner's Insurance and Vacancy: Protecting Your Home While You're Away

We all enjoy the spring and summer months, as the weather warms and the welcome sunshine beckons us toward outdoor activities and family vacations.

But departing our homes for greener pastures means leaving them unattendedand vulnerable. When this happens, we face a greater likelihood of burglary, loss, and home insurance claims.

Keeping Costs Down

So how can we keep our home insurance costs down and our abodes safe from invasion?

With
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How are Health Insurance Claims Processed?

Every insurance company has its own claim procedures. When filing a claim with your health insurance, you need to follow the steps as outlined by your insurance company. In most cases, claims are denied by a mere technicality.

The best place to find information on claiming your medical insurance is your health insurance company itself. Generally, you are provided a toll free contact number that you can call during business hours. When speaking with your health insurance company's representative on the phone, you may be required to provide some details like your policy number and name
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Think you don't need travel insurance? Think again...

...swiftcover.com reveals the famous five excuses for travel without insurance
Last year, around 2.5 million Britons put themselves at risk, and travelled abroad without arranging travel insurance1. But, according to a study by swiftcover.com, the UKs first and only 100% online insurer, it is merely false conceptions about the level of insurance cover provided by other sources, cost and a dash of ignorance that has led holidaymakers to take these risks when away from home2.

I have cover elsewhere
Over a fifth of people (21%) believe that the cover they have as
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Dog Insurance Could Be A Dying Breed!

Dog insurance is becoming an emotive issue with some insurance companies beginning to classify certain breeds of dog as high risk. In such instances dog owners are finding it increasingly difficult to get their dogs covered under their homeowners insurance policy and existing policy holders are finding that premiums are increasing for breeds of dog that have been classified as dangerous.

Dog insurance providers are homing in on those dog breeds that are generating the highest number of insurance claims to do with dog bites or other insurance claims that can be associated with an act of
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Rejected Hurricane Insurance Claims Hurricane Katrina & Rita

The catastrophic damage caused by hurricanes Rita and Katrina have combined to be the costliest disasters in the history of the United States. They have completely destroyed costal towns and cities and virtually destroyed the lives of millions of Americans. The estimated damage to the battered Gulf Coast has already been estimated at billions of dollars. Hurricane Katrina alone has already proved to be the deadliest and most costly natural disaster to ever hit American soil. To make matters worse, many Americans have hoped that their insurance would provide a way to rebuild and start over.

Many
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Internet Home Business Scams Revealed

Web Work That Won't Work
(c) Michael Laleye

While there are many legitimate work at home Internet business possibilities and many reputable and honest work at home Internet business vendors, there are also some fraudulent schemes. You must choose carefully. The most prominent of these fraudulent schemes is for medical billing. Touted as one of the best work at home Internet business ideas, these schemers are just out for your money. The idea is to charge an upfront fee to get you started, and then leave you to fend for yourself in an industry where
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Got A Non-Renewal Notice On Your Home Insurance?

Instead know how to claim your rights and how to avoid getting your current insurance cancelled. Some states have laws prohibiting insurers from non-renewing existing homeowner customers who pay their premiums on time. But in most states, insurers are free to non-renew. Nevertheless, it is only in certain situations that insurers have a legal right to cancel a deal and you should check the contract to see how this situation is regulated in it.

Avoiding Insurance Cancellation

It is often noticed that insurers rarely cancel a homeowners policy before it expires.
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Top 5 Ways to Enhance the Effectiveness of Your Freeze Alarm

In January of 2005, the Sax family woke up to discover that the pipes in their familys weekend ski lodge garage had burst. The garage was flooded, but thats not the worst of it. The water then froze, encasing all 3 of their cars in a thick layer of ice. It took hours to chip, crack, pick, and melt their cars free.

Surveys indicate that frozen pipes ranks as the number one fear of vacation homeowners in the United States. Water damage is second only to fire damage in number and amount in insurance claims. The best
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Is Your Homeowner's Insurance Giving You Protection from Flood Damage or Losses

The first thing that surprises many people about flood insurance is that everybody is actually considered to live in a flood zone according to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) - its simply a question of whether you are at low, moderate or high risk of flooding. Obviously some people, depending on where they live, are at greater risk than others.

And another surprise is that even people who live in areas not particularly prone to floods may be at risk from flooding - around 30% of claims for flood damage come from areas that are considered low to moderate
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Protect Yourself Against Auto Insurance Fraud

Auto insurance fraud scams are designed to force policyholders into paying higher premiums on costly claims for the benefit of the scammer. Its art goes way back to the early days of insurance, such as in ancient Greece where ship scuttling (where ships were purposely sunk) to collect money. From there, auto insurance fraud made its way to England and America. Fraudulent insurance claims hit major peaks when automobiles were invented. Now, with the trappings of modern technology, highly complex organized crime rings have been organized to produce these auto insurance frauds - many of which are hard to detect.
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The End of Unlimited Lifetime Benefits in New Long Term Care Insurance Policies

Prominent long term care insurance carrier Penn Treaty recently announced that it will discontinue offering the "unlimited lifetime" benefit option on all new policy forms as of 1/1/2007. Will other insurance companies follow suit? We think so, as the industry adjusts to changes in the all-too-real world of care and care giving.

With rising baby boomers life expectancies and broadening offerings in the care delivery systems "unlimited lifetime" benefits simply pose expanded and uncertain risk for insurers. This risk naturally translates to pricing which places "unlimited lifetime" benefit out of reach for the
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Full Disclosure Is Necessary When Claiming Life Insurance

Recent research undertaken by the insurance firm Norwich Union suggests that consumers in Britain need to be more thorough when filling out forms for life insurance in order to avoid claims being rejected. According to Norwich Union, British consumers are most likely to leave out information about any treatment they may have received, current treatment being received or whether or not they have suffered from depression.

Norwich Union claims that, while 2005's figures were down from that of 2004, the firm still had to reject one in ten life insurance claims due to non-disclosure by
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Achieving Workplace Wellness: A Conversation with Workplace Stress Management Therapist Beth Moses

Beth Moses, founder and CEO of Oh Well!, Inc, a workplace wellness firm in Indiana, has over 25 years of experience in the fields of business, wellness and healing. She is also author of the book Its All Well & Good. In this interview she discusses various workplace approaches to wellness and provides takeaways that workers can use to reduce stress and increase energy throughout their day.

Youve been observing workplace settings and speaking to corporate groups for a number of years. What kinds of insights have you gained about workplace settings and their conduciveness
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