The terms contracting and credentialing are often used interchangeably, but the processes involved in each, while interdependent, are very different and have different outcomes. Contracting, in brief, is the process of creating a formal legal agreement between the payer (insurance company) and the provider (facility, physician, and/or physician extender). The contract outlines expectations and requirements of all parties. The effective date of the agreement, the reimbursement/fee schedule, place of service, termination clauses, services allowed and …
Read MorePrescribing Pharmacists: Cheaper and More Accessible Than Urgent Care?
Urgent message: As states move forward with legislation enabling pharmacists to prescribe, not just dispense, the urgent care industry must consider the implications on competition, collaboration and public health. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Â On February 11, 2020, the Virginia legislature passed bills HB 1506 and SB 1026, respectively, enabling pharmacists to prescribe medications, not …
Read MoreImage May not Be Everything, but Imaging Comes Pretty Close
It used to be that the ability to administer x-rays on site was enough to distinguish one urgent care center’s superiority over another. With most urgent care operators understanding that patients have come to expect x-ray services these days, however, it’s not such a competitive advantage. Rather, making the process as smooth as possible and ensuring the reads are spot-on should encourage patients to come back in the future. Failing to do so will likely …
Read MoreThirty-Three Billion Reasons Patients Should Be Heading to Urgent Care Instead of the ED
Urgent care has flourished because of its defining attribute of providing high-quality, walk-in care more efficiently and less expensively than the emergency room offers. Yet, we continue to read articles in the mainstream media saying that so many people still flock to the ED with relatively minor complaints that during high-volume periods (like flu season), hospital and local health officials practically beg them to go to an urgent care center instead. The question of why …
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Pros and Cons of Urgent Care vs Primary Care Billing for Urgent Care Services
Urgent message: While it makes business sense for the minority of urgent care facilities that do contract with and bill insurance as a primary care practice, the majority contract and bill as urgent care, given higher reimbursement and the numerous other benefits this provides an urgent care operation. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care, LLC and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. In …
Read MoreStaying in Good Stead with OSHA Starts with Maintaining Proper Records
Urgent message: Urgent care operators have a multitiered relationship with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration: as an employer required to provide a safe workplace for employees; in the context of helping occupational medicine clients maintain compliance with relevant OSHA regulations; and in maintaining through and accurate records of occ med employee cases. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Senior Practice Management Editor of The Journal …
Read MoreWhen Your Workers Comp Patient Is Reluctant to Return to Work
Urgent message: One of the occupational medicine provider’s most difficult challenges is when a patient with a work-related injury or illness is judged ready to return to full duty, but the patient resists going back to work. Max Lebow, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACPM INTRODUCTION This article will address the problem of difficult-to-discharge patients who resist returning to full duty when their work-related injury/illness has resolved. We will discuss the process of early identification of work-reluctant …
Read MoreTaking Pictures, Dog Paddling, and Apple Picking: A Metaphorical Approach to Healthy Revenue Cycle Management Metrics
You have seen all the articles about benchmarking and standard revenue cycle management metrics. The repetition of these basic articles is nauseating. This is not one of those articles. To illustrate that, let’s start by asking, what do photography, dog paddling, and apple picking have to do with your urgent care billing? Photography Standard RCM metrics are like the settings on your digital camera. Most people set the camera to Program mode (or “P” for …
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Strategic Real Estate Tactics in Urgent Care Site Selection
Alan A. Ayers, MBA, is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Â Urgent message: When competing in crowded, heavily saturated urgent care markets, employing strategic real estate tactics in site selection can give your urgent care center an edge over the competition. Urgent care is a retail business, so site selection is critical in getting patients through the door. Most owner-operators understand the …
Read MoreNot Like Old Times
The first time I wrote this column was for the inaugural issue of JUCM in October 2006. Today I could reflect on how much has changed around us, yet how much has stayed the same, but you know…no one really cares about what’s happened since 2006. What we really care about is today, and tomorrow. What’s happening right NOW, and what’s going to happen NEXT. And that’s the inspiration for the 2020 Convention. Yep, I’m …
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