Okay, this is a big one! This one website is like a big gift box that has another box inside and another box inside, and so on. The health100.com site has links to over 800 of the top English-language health blogs. You can search on site names or search on content. There are clinical blogs, research blogs, hospital blogs, and management blogs. You can find information, opinions, news, webcasts, and podcasts. You can find lawyers, doctors, nurses and patients. And pretty soon, you’ll be able to find me!
Happy hunting, and let me know what you find.
My husband and I are away this weekend attending blogging camp. No, we’re not at a logging camp, we’re at blogging camp. If you remember, hubby and I both launched blogs in July (you’re reading mine right now,) so we’re newbies trying to learn more and meet others who are blogging. My passion is taking interesting ideas from other worlds and applying them to mine. Here are a few things I’m taking away:
- I just joined Twitter. This means I can communicate with others and they know what I’m doing and I can find out what they are doing via text messages. As I explore this more I’ll write about it. I’d like to use Twitter at MGMA in San Diego in October. If anyone out there is going to MGMA and using Twitter, please get in touch with me by leaving a comment, or emailing me at marypatwhaley@gmail.com.
- Some who know me will say I am obsessed with toilet paper dispensers and hand towel dispensers and they would be correct. My theory is: If you’re not paying attention to the tissue and hand towel dispensers (the little things) in your practice, you probably aren’t paying attention to the big things. More on this topic later as I am building out a new site for my practice and will write about making design and fixture choices in the future. Anyway, the conference we’re attending is being held at CubeSpace which is a very cool place where folks can come and use workstations and technology. The bathroom here has a very cool hand towel dispenser (picture above) that you work with your forearm! I will be checking it out for my new office.
- Backchannels are the new intranets. I am working on a knowledge management tool for my practice to help document important information that tends to be lost when staff leave the practice. I got some different ideas about accomplishing this goal from camp.
- The camp presentations were also streamed live and I learned a little about vlogging (video blogging.) The last time I thought about making an orientation video I was told it would probably cost $10,000! With some practice, I think my staff and I can make “videos” for just about any topic. We can do video tours of our facilities for our website, we can film our meetings for absent staff, we can do narrated PowerPoint presentations.
Whew. So much technology, so much fun!
I am about to use SurveyMonkey again. The first time I used SurveyMonkey was to ask the staff questions about benefits. I knew that we were facing some big health insurance premium increases and I wanted to know what employees’ priorities were. SurveyMonkey walked me through the process of designing a simple survey (10 questions) and compiled the results for me.
I presented the results of the survey at my first quarterly staff meeting and discussed what my challenges were in trying to meet the needs of the employees and the needs of the organization in choosing a health plan. The use of the survey tool and my discussion of the results let the staff know that their feedback counts.
Now, we’re designing a new office and I am soliciting information (not anonymous this time) about what people value in a workspace and what their needs are for technology and comfort. Feedback from the staff is that they like being asked what they think and enjoy the surveys. Feedback from me is that SurveyMonkey is easy to use and at $20.00 per month for unlimited surveys, it’s a tool that delivers the value.
Here are some other ways you might use surveys:
- Put a survey on your practice website.
- Put a survey on a computer monitor or tablet in your reception area.
- Send a survey to patients via email.
- Ask the staff or docs at referring physician practices to complete a quick survey about the service you provide to their patients.
- If you’ve sent patients for tests, therapy or surgery, have them complete a survey about their experiences.
- Have a computer for surveys at health fairs asking visitors to participate for a chance to win a prize.
- Add a link on all marketing materials to a community survey.
What are your survey ideas?
Photo credit: Dmitry Maslov | Dreamstime.com
Now for something a little bit different for my Monday morning resource post. I came across two recently published studies that I found interesting – both about people tapping into the Internet for health information.
It doesn’t seem that long ago (it wasn’t!) that I first heard of people bringing information from the Internet in to discuss with their physician. If I remember correctly, the general feeling among the docs was “Why are patients looking for information when I can give them everything they need to know?” Wow, good question. Today, it seems natural to me that patients seek information on the Internet. I think it is fairly well-accepted that a patient who looks for information on the Internet is more likely to become engaged in their own health and an engaged patient is generally a better, and healthier patient.
The question I have is “What does an Internet-savvy patient population mean for my practice?” A wonderful, difficult, scary question. Think about this while you peruse the startling statistics below, and maybe link to the full stories to read more.
The Pew Internet and American Life Project released information last week on what percentage of online Americans are seeking medical information online.
- 68% of online men look online for health info
- 81% of online women
- 76% of white internet users
- 65% of African-American internet users
- 71% of English-speaking Hispanic internet users
- 68% of 18-29 year-old internet users
- 78% of 30-49s
- 76% of 50-64s
- 71% of internet users age 65+
And in a related article, The Center for Studying Health System Change released information last month on sources (other than doctors) that people get their health information. The bottom line is:
- Internet = 32% of the total population
- Magazines and Newspaper = 32% of the total population
- Friends and Family = 31% of the total population
Interestingly, TV and radio ranked quite low, which anyone watching the weekday morning shows can tell you – TV seems to report the health news, and all news, pretty much last.
Okay, I admit it. I am a Geek. I was so happy to be attending my first conference at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington, that they didn’t even have to really impress me.
But they did.
I can’t say I was agog at the actual Conference Center; although everything is well-done, it is also simple and unassuming. I was very agog at the people who presented at the Health Users Conference (HUG, which is a users group alliance program sponsored by HIMSS), and with the Christmas morning of information that rained down on my head at the Developer track I chose to attend (other track choices were IT Pro, Health Plans, and Clinical Informatics.)
I have lots and lots I want to report on from the conference and will be doing so over the next few weeks:
* Interview with Bill Crounse, MD on what Microsoft has to offer the private medical practice and his predictions for the future of EHR pricing
* Interview with Melissa Markey, healthcare attorney specializing in technology on why practices come to her for advice and counsel
* Some fascinating demos of products being created with MS technology
* Some interesting perspectives of MS people and my brief experience with the MS culture
* An eye-witness report on “Surface” and how it will be used in healthcare (it went on sale today but I failed to bring my checkbook with me and my cards are all maxed out)
* Heard while at MS: some very interesting statements that I didn’t expect to hear
* My own wild ideas for my practice after being exposed to some gee-whiz products at MS
But first, back to work and the real world tomorrow, then some vacation time to spend with my daughter who’s visiting from 3,000 miles away, and hopefully, some serious posting on my blog, which is about to change from “healthpromeme.com” to “managemypractice.com.” Either name will work.
With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revealing yesterday what the Medicare premiums and deductibles will be for 2009, it seems like a good time to brush up on Medicare and what choices providers have in enrolling and participating in Medicare.
Medicare is a health insurance program created in 1965 for:
- people age 65 or older,
- people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and
- people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)
TRADITIONAL/ORIGINAL FEE-FOR-SERVICE MEDICARE
Medicare Part A - 99% of patients don’t pay a premium for Part A (hospital insurance) because they or a spouse already paid for it through their payroll taxes while working. The $1,068 deductible for 2009, paid by the beneficiary when admitted as a hospital inpatient, is an increase of $44 from $1024 in 2008. Part A helps cover:
- inpatient care in hospitals
- including critical access hospitals
- skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care)
- some hospice care
- some home health care
Medicare Part B – Part B (outpatient/doctor insurance) base premium for 2009: $96.40/month (no change from 2008.) Premiums are higher for single people over 65 making more than $85K per year and for couples making over $170K. Part B premiums cover approximately one-fourth of the average cost of Part B services incurred by beneficiaries aged 65 and over. The remaining Part B costs are financed by Federal general revenues. In 2009, the Part B deductible will be $135, the same as it was in 2008. Part B helps cover:
- doctors’ services and outpatient care
- some services of physical and occupational therapists
- some home health care
Medicare Part D - Starting January 1, 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage became available to everyone with Medicare. In 2008, the deductible is $275, in 2009 it will be $295.
MEDICARE HEALTH PLANS (MEDICARE ADVANTAGE)
Medicare Part C – Medicare now offers beneficiaries the option to have care paid for through private insurance plans. These private insurance options are part of Medicare Part C, which was previously known as Medicare+Choice, and is now called Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage expands options for receiving Medicare coverage through a variety of private insurance plans, including private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and through new mechanisms such as medical savings accounts (MSAs), as well as adding payment for additional services not covered under Part A or B.
COMPARISON OF MEDICARE PLANS
Original Medicare Plan
WHAT? The traditional pay-per-visit (also called fee-for-service) arrangement available nationwide.
HOW? Providers can choose to participate (“par”) or not participate (“non-par”.) Participating providers accept the Medicare allowable and collect co-insurance (20% of the allowable.) Reimbursement comes to the providers. Non-participating providers may charge 15% more (called the “limiting” charge) than the Medicare allowable schedule, but the patient will receive the check, which is why some non-par practices require payment at time of service for Medicare patients. To charge patients for non-covered services, patients must sign an ABN before the service is provided.
Original Medicare Plan With Supplemental Medigap Policy
WHAT? The Original Medicare Plan plus one of up to ten standardized Medicare supplemental insurance policies (also called Medigap insurance) available through private companies.
HOW? Medigap plans may cover Medicare deductibles and co-insurance, but typically will not cover anything Medicare will not. Medicare primary claims will “cross-over” to many Medigap secondary claims so the practice does not have to file the secondary Medigap claim. Patients may still have a small balance that is cost-prohibitive to bill for.
Medicare Coordinated Care Plan
WHAT? A Medicare approved network of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that agrees to give care in return for a set monthly payment from Medicare. A coordinated care plan may be any of the following: a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Provider Sponsored Organization (PSO), local or regional Preferred Provider Organ. (PPO), or a Health Maintenance Organization with a Point of Service Option (POS).
HOW? You have to have signed a contract or be grandfathered in (called an “all-products” clause) under an existing contract to see patients and get paid. Primary care providers may have to provide referrals and/or authorization for specialty services and providers. A PPO or a POS plan usually provides out of network benefits for patients for an extra out-of pocket cost.
Private Fee-For-Service Plan (PFFS)
WHAT? A Medicare-approved private insurance plan. Medicare pays the plan a premium for Medicare-covered services. A PFFS Plan provides all Medicare benefits. Note: This is not the same as Medigap.
HOW? Most PFFS plans allow patients to be seen by any provider who will see them. PFFS plans do not have to pay providers according to the Medicare fee schedules or pay in 15 days for clean claims. Providers may bill patients more than the plan pays, up to a limit. It would be a good thing to notify patients if your practice intends to bill above the plan payment.
It seems that my most popular post to date has been the one I wrote on the difference between its and it’s. This tells me that managers are looking for ways to improve their writing and communication skills. Not being one to overlook the obvious, I thought I would write a post about the difference between your and you’re.
I’ve been reading blogs and blog comments so much lately that my eyes are almost crossed, but one thing that does jump out at me is the tendency for many writers to confuse the two words your and you’re.
Remember the rule for its and it’s? This one is almost the same.
If you can substitute the words “you are” in the sentence, use the apostrophe. For example, “You’re reading my blog” can also be expressed as “You are reading my blog.”
If the words “you are” make no sense whatsoever as a substitution, do not use the apostrophe. For example, “You’re blog is fascinating,” sounds fine, but makes no sense when you substitute it with “You are blog is fascinating.” This is the place to use “your”, as in “Your blog is fascinating.”
Your choice of words makes all the difference, and you’re the one to make that choice.
Here’s a Monday Special that will knock your socks off! Barbara Duck at Medical Quack has an invaluable list of resources on her website – links to K-Mart, WalMart, Costco, Kroger and Target pharmacy pricing. Not too long ago, a patient asked me why her doctor couldn’t help her by letting her know where she could get the drug he was prescribing for the lowest price. Why not indeed!
Why not consider setting up a program at your practice to help patients find the lowest prices for their prescriptions? With links to your local pharmacies, you could come up with some creative ways to quickly look up prices for patients. If you’re looking for a way to distinguish your practice from the rest, this is a sure patient-pleaser. However, if you have more patients than you can handle, your expenses are under control and you can’t find ways to spend all the money your practice is making, as Miss Emily Latella on Saturday Night Live used to say, “Oh, that’s very different…Never Mind!”
TED is Technology, Entertainment, Design and the TED Conference which began as a way to bring together thinkers from the three converging fields, will celebrate 25 years in 2009. My son told me about TED Talks a few months ago, and I loved the very first TED Talk I ever watched. Each TED Talk is 18 minutes (or less) long and is given by “the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives.”
TED Talks are available to be shared under the Creative Commons license and you can make them accessible to your staff or your management team. You can use them as a catalyst for creative thinking and an opportunity to think about problems in a different way.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Dr. Dean Ornish: Your genes are not your fate
Malcolm Gladwell: What we can learn from spaghetti sauce
Anand Agarawala: BumpTop desktop is a beautiful mess
Go find Ted and start listening!
My practice spends about $9,000 a year going to the bank. That’s what it costs for the time it takes for one person to open the envelopes, separate the checks from the EOBs, add the check totals, stamp the backs of the checks, copy/scan the checks, write the deposit slip and go to the bank on a daily basis.
Now my practice is evaluating one old option and one relatively new option. The lockbox has been around for a long time, but as technology has become more sophisticated and less expensive, and time has become more valuable, the lockbox has seemingly become more affordable. Evaluating it now, it seems like a great deal to have someone else perform all the steps listed above as well as having the check and EOB images stored online for easy access.
The newer option is the check reader that scans and uploads the check image to your bank, depositing a group of checks in the bank from the comfort of your own office. BusinessWeek had a good overview of this technology in a video recently. Click the link below to see the video.
High-Tech Banking
if you’re spending too much money depositing your money, maybe you should call your banker.
