Re: O&P Billing service
Pat Shannon
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: O&P Billing service
Creator:
Pat Shannon
Date:
1/21/2003
Text:
Every couple of months somebody on this list serve asks about billing
services. I always cringe when I read the question, cause I know that
everyone can't wait to tell the horror stories that we all know. First let
me be up front with you about the fact that I am the CEO of the only billing
service that I know of that focuses on the O&P Industry. Just wanted to get
my bias in front of my comments.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office />
The main reason I am writing this post is to educate not advertise. I want
everyone to know that Billing is a profession just like O&P. Whoa now
that's a big statement and many of you are probably saying hold on there
now. We have an association that regulates, credentials and certifies us,
we have educational requirements and CEU requirements. Yep, that's right.
The world of billers has the same thing. It's just that most of you that
have gone to a billing service in the past never dealt with a professional
certified billing service.
It would be like me going to a DME supplier to get fitted for a prosthetic
and complaining about the results. OK, that is a stretch but I think you
get my point. In billing there are lots of Mom & Pop outfits that do not
have a clue, but promise the world. There are lots of those in every state
and they give our industry a bad name. Everybody that has $495.00 and
attends a get rich quick weekend seminar on doing medical billing from their
home, thinks that they can do billing because they sat through the whole
two-hour seminar. What is scarier is that they actually do occasionally
convince someone to hire them. Please know that in our industry that we
feel the same way about these people as you might about DME suppliers doing
Orthotics.
In our industry we are regulated and there is a certification process, look
for the CHBME (Certified Healthcare Billing & Management Executive)
credential. It carries with it assurances of training, certification, and
continuing education requirements. It is awarded by the parent association
of professional billers, The Healthcare Billing & Management Association
www.hbma.com < <URL Redacted>> . They monitor completion of
certification training and keep records of expertise by specialty
(unfortunately O&P is lumped into the DME group, not listed separately).
A professional certified billing service will have a working compliance plan
in place and will be able to provide you a summary of their plan. They will
be able to provide you a certificate of HIPAA training and appropriate
Business Associate agreements to protect your company under the coming HIPAA
Privacy Regulations. We have a presence in Washington DC and have a
lobbyist that addresses billing issues to CMS and Congress for us. There
are fewer than 600 Certified Billing Companies in the US, and of them very
few do DME, let alone O&P.
OK, that's probably more than you wanted to know, but I want you to have the
real side of our profession. Everyone knows a story about somebody who's
cousin hired a billing company that messed up there billing. But I have
never met anyone that can tell me that they hired a certified professional
biller and had any problems.
OK, I shut up now, but thanks for reading my rant.
Patrick M Shannon, CHBME
Cashflow Billing Solutions, Inc
The Nations O&P Billing Service
1-888-467-4362 ext 200
Omaha 898-2600 ext 200
Lincoln 421-8000 ext 200
**********CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT**********
This e-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be
legally privileged. It is intended for the use of the individual or entity
to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the
reader of this email is not the intended recipient, or agent responsible for
delivering or copying of this communication, you are hereby notified that
any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, then
delete it. Thank you
services. I always cringe when I read the question, cause I know that
everyone can't wait to tell the horror stories that we all know. First let
me be up front with you about the fact that I am the CEO of the only billing
service that I know of that focuses on the O&P Industry. Just wanted to get
my bias in front of my comments.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office />
The main reason I am writing this post is to educate not advertise. I want
everyone to know that Billing is a profession just like O&P. Whoa now
that's a big statement and many of you are probably saying hold on there
now. We have an association that regulates, credentials and certifies us,
we have educational requirements and CEU requirements. Yep, that's right.
The world of billers has the same thing. It's just that most of you that
have gone to a billing service in the past never dealt with a professional
certified billing service.
It would be like me going to a DME supplier to get fitted for a prosthetic
and complaining about the results. OK, that is a stretch but I think you
get my point. In billing there are lots of Mom & Pop outfits that do not
have a clue, but promise the world. There are lots of those in every state
and they give our industry a bad name. Everybody that has $495.00 and
attends a get rich quick weekend seminar on doing medical billing from their
home, thinks that they can do billing because they sat through the whole
two-hour seminar. What is scarier is that they actually do occasionally
convince someone to hire them. Please know that in our industry that we
feel the same way about these people as you might about DME suppliers doing
Orthotics.
In our industry we are regulated and there is a certification process, look
for the CHBME (Certified Healthcare Billing & Management Executive)
credential. It carries with it assurances of training, certification, and
continuing education requirements. It is awarded by the parent association
of professional billers, The Healthcare Billing & Management Association
www.hbma.com < <URL Redacted>> . They monitor completion of
certification training and keep records of expertise by specialty
(unfortunately O&P is lumped into the DME group, not listed separately).
A professional certified billing service will have a working compliance plan
in place and will be able to provide you a summary of their plan. They will
be able to provide you a certificate of HIPAA training and appropriate
Business Associate agreements to protect your company under the coming HIPAA
Privacy Regulations. We have a presence in Washington DC and have a
lobbyist that addresses billing issues to CMS and Congress for us. There
are fewer than 600 Certified Billing Companies in the US, and of them very
few do DME, let alone O&P.
OK, that's probably more than you wanted to know, but I want you to have the
real side of our profession. Everyone knows a story about somebody who's
cousin hired a billing company that messed up there billing. But I have
never met anyone that can tell me that they hired a certified professional
biller and had any problems.
OK, I shut up now, but thanks for reading my rant.
Patrick M Shannon, CHBME
Cashflow Billing Solutions, Inc
The Nations O&P Billing Service
1-888-467-4362 ext 200
Omaha 898-2600 ext 200
Lincoln 421-8000 ext 200
**********CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT**********
This e-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be
legally privileged. It is intended for the use of the individual or entity
to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the
reader of this email is not the intended recipient, or agent responsible for
delivering or copying of this communication, you are hereby notified that
any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, then
delete it. Thank you
Citation
Pat Shannon, “Re: O&P Billing service,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 24, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/220435.
