The Price of Medical Technology
The opening remarks of the monograph presented by the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Related Disorders1 included an interesting comment on medical technology as it relates to third-party reimbursement:
"Since World War II, there has been pressure to depend more on sophisticated technology. Such technology often goes through a trendy 'fad phase' and is not always subjected to rigorous scientific evaluation before its use becomes widespread. The price paid by society for such shortcomings is aggravated by procedure-oriented fee-for-service reimbursement schemes that reward 'doing' much more than 'thinking.'"Reference
1. Spitzer WO, et al. Scientific monograph of the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Related Disorders: Redefining "whiplash and its management." Spine 1995;8S:10S
Back pain? Blame the psoas. Seems as if everybody wants to dive headfirst into their psoas at the first sign of trouble with the lumbopelvic-hip region. Perhaps no other muscle is blamed more for causing problems than the psoas. Yes, it is an important stabilizer of the lumbar spine, but it shouldn't be the only one on which you focus. There is another big player on the scene: the iliacus.
Two closely related viruses of herpes simplex, HSV-1 and HSV-2, can infect the human body. HSV-1 mostly infects the gums and skin, although it can cause more serious infection in the brain. HSV-2 mostly infects around the genital area. Infection with the virus can be unsightly and painful, especially for HSV-2.
What’s the simplest way to ensure prompt payment for your claims? Ensure that the insurance payer has no reason to deny them. Submitting a “clean claim” from the start can have a more significant impact on your net collections than any other step in your billing workflow. Net collections and accounts receivable (AR) can improve significantly when claims are clean from the start.
