An integrated clearinghouse solution from two healthcare IT vendors hashelped Star Physical Therapy cuts its paper output in half and savemore than $1,500 per month in printing and mailing costs.
Not to mention making the whole billing process quicker and more effective.
The Franklin, Tenn.-based rehabilitation practice, which staffs morethan 60 outpatient clinics throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana,implemented a practice management system earlier this year thatincluded software solutions from SourceMedical, a Birmingham,Ala.-based provider of outpatient information management systems, andZirMed, a Louisville, Ky.-based provider of revenue cycle managementservices. The combined PMS/EDI clearinghouse solution helped StarPhysical Therapy increase accuracy, streamline processes, analyzeperformance and simplify payment procedures.
"We handle billing for all our clinics through a central office,"said Damon Adelgren, Star Physical's director of operations, in arecent press release. "Since adopting an integrated PMS, we've had farbetter control over our claims submissions, payment capabilities andcollections. Our electronic payment option alone has resulted in a 50percent reduction in the number of statements we issue, saving us over$1,500 per month in printing and mailing costs."
The new online bill payment option for customers has "been afantastic tool," added Adelgren, "enabling our patients to paycontinuing charges through their choice of a credit or debit card, aswell as through direct transfer from their checking or savingsaccounts. We can take the information over the phone. In fact, whatused to take us five days and up to four people to accomplish by mailcan now be handled in minutes by one person."
This isn't the first collaboration between SourceMedical and ZirMed.The Surgical and Endoscopic Center of Stephenville, Texas, is using anintegrated solution to manage everything from supplies to new Medicareprocedures at the 12-physician surgical practice.
"Recently our waiver on secondary claim filing expired withMedicare, because we're no longer considered a small clinic," saidbilling specialist Lucy Salinas. "ZirMed's staff walked us through thechange, making what could have been a real bottleneck virtuallyseamless."
ZirMed, founded in 1999, offers revenue cycle management servicesthat include insurance eligibility verification, claims submissions,patient statements and credit card processing and online bill paymentservices. The company has partnered in the past with CareCentric,Computers Unlimited, MedInformatix, Workflow.com and Greenway Medicaltechnologies to deliver integrated software solutions to healthcareproviders.
SourceMedical, which has been around for nearly 30 years, offers arange of management platforms, including TherapySource PMS for rehabpractices, Vision, AdvantX and SurgiSource, for surgery centers.