Beaverlog Tips:  Volume 39 - November 1, 2007

Horror Stories Wanted

We just missed the Halloween deadline, thought maybe it was the holiday itself that turned our thoughts to horror, but we are starting a collection of insurance claim horror stories.  These are not the usual denied claims because of lack of coverage or a claim error that would make you blush with embarrassment.  No, what we are looking for are those situations when perfectly good claims were denied or delayed because of a payer's ridiculous requirements or other nonsensical reason.  You be the judge.  Write them up and send them to our president, Peter Gysegem.  Be specific and name names; well, not patient names, of course, but payer or clearinghouse names.  If you so indicate, we will print some of them in upcoming Beaverlog Tips newsletters.  All of them, however, will go into our efforts to hold the payers' collective feet to the fire and force them to follow the regulations.

Who Are You Submitting To?

And speaking of claims…  Even if you don't have a horror story or two, we are also compiling a list of which payers and/or clearinghouses (receivers) our customers are sending electronic claims to.  Why would you want to do this, you ask?  Well, that's a good question.  And I have two good answers plus one really good answer:

1. Having this information will let us notify you should we learn something about the receiver or their claim requirements that will help you get paid for your claims more surely and quickly.
2. Having this information gives us leverage when we have to do battle on your behalf with a receiver.
3. You get your choice of one free technical support call or $30 in Beaver Bucks you can use like cash to purchase support, upgrades, or additional features.

You can also tell us about receivers who were so bad that you decided to go somewhere else.

Send your list, big or small, to support@beaverlog.com and please include your customer number.

Old HCFA-1500 Going Away

In the immortal first two words of the classic novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," don't panic!  It has been almost six months since the new CMS-1500 form became the required format for printed (and some electronic) claims.  Because the new forms have been required by most payers for about six months (and in The THERAPIST for almost a year), we want to get rid of the old HCFA-1500 forms in The THERAPIST.  However, if any of you still need the old form, we don't want to be too hasty.  So if you are still being required to use the old forms, please let us know so we don't kill off the old form too soon.
By the way, this affects both The THERAPIST Pro and EZ version 2.5.  User who are still using The THERAPIST for Windows version 1.0 or 2.0, we no longer make changes to your software so you will not be affected.

Great Prices on CMS-1500 Forms

We recently had to purchase some CMS-1500 claim forms and, because we are basically computer nerds, we did it on-line after searching Google for good prices.  We came up with quite a range of prices but the best was on a web site called www.JustCMS1500Forms.com.  Both their prices and their shipping costs beat everywhere else we looked.  We got 500 forms and with shipping, it came to only $18.66.  If you can beat that, great, but if you are paying more, check out this web site.  By the way, we have no connection to these folks other than being new customers.

National Do Not Call Registry

If you have been conscious for the last few years, you have heard of the National Do Not Call Registry.  This federal government program lets you list your personal telephone numbers and supposedly prevents telemarketers from calling you.  It doesn't stop political or charitable organizations from hounding you but at least you won't be pestered with calls to buy vinyl siding or cemetery plots.  You can register both land line numbers and mobile phones.
Part of the law that authorized this service included a sunset clause whereby numbers can stay on the registry for only five years unless they are re-registered.  There is movement to eliminate this provision but until that happens, you have to register again every five years and if you were among the first to register in June of 2003, your five years is up in June 2008.

You can use the official web site (www.DoNotCall.gov) to verify that your number is on the registry and to register or re-register your phone numbers.  It's ok to re-register early, just don't be late.  You can also register by phone by calling 1-888-382-1222.  Keep in mind that this registry does not cover business phone numbers, only personal numbers.