Re: Re: office ally

[Guest guest]

I am using Office Ally PM to submit claims for free. It works really well. No complaints. Submitting claims is super easy. What takes time is dealing with rejected ones. I have only had a few...about 50% were my fault. There is certainly a learning curve. The other 50% have been for a variety of reasons...eg had a mother of a patient give me the wrong birthday for her child. I do not have any Medicare patients at this time...still waiting to be credentialed since changing offices. Whenever I haved called Office Ally for help, they have always been very accessible and helpful.

Michele

Glen Mills, PA

To: Sent: Wed, December 1, 2010 3:37:52 PMSubject: Re: patient portal

I'm using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and includes by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem to like it. No structured e-visits with that.If you use the Office Ally "Practice Mate" PM module, which is free, I think you can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless you have a large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a monthly fee, but I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to submit claims? Dr. Chu?Jack>> Hi All, > I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a patient portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in improving

efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well. > > > Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service, if so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my own billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge. > > Thanks all. > > Madhavi>

[Guest guest]

I am using office ally as a clearinghouse. I have Lytec as my practice

management software. I went to them a few months ago when my prior clearinghouse

was taken over by another company that wanted several hundred dollars/month.

Office Ally is free, as long as less than 50% Medicare claims. I met the owner

at a recent Primed and asked him how he can do that. He said the commercial

plans pay him for each claim that goes through Office Ally but Medicare does

not.

I am starting to look at their EHR for $30/month. I really dislike with this

whole thing that when we get an EHR or a practice management software, we are

almost betrothed to them. They can jack up the prices or get taken over by

another company and then you have to invest more time/money to switch. It really

goes against our American market system. For instance, if Staples raises their

prices, I can shop at WB Mason or Office Depot and am not stuck always with

Staples. BUt if you spend thousands of dollars on an EMR and next year they

decide the support cost has to go up 200%, you either pay up or spend more

time/money to get another one> Who can really switch EMR's every year???

My current EMR, Medinotes, was taken over by Ecclipsys a year ago and that in

turn was taken over by Allscripts a few months ago!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Margaret Coughlan

Re: patient portal

 

I'm using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and includes

by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem to like

it. No structured e-visits with that.

If you use the Office Ally " Practice Mate " PM module, which is free, I think you

can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless you have a

large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a monthly fee, but

I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to submit claims? Dr. Chu?

Jack

>

> Hi All,

> I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a patient

portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in

improving efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a

differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well.

>

>

> Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service, if

so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my own

billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge.

>

> Thanks all.

>

> Madhavi

>

[Guest guest]

Wait just a minute. Office Ally gets paid by the commercial insurer to process claims? So, BCBS or XYZ commercial payer gives OA a...?kickback!? But medicare does not/cannot give OA a kickback? This has a bad smell. I am using office ally as a clearinghouse. I have Lytec as my practice management software. I went to them a few months ago when my prior clearinghouse was taken over by another company that wanted several hundred dollars/month. Office Ally is free, as long as less than 50% Medicare claims. I met the owner at a recent Primed and asked him how he can do that. He said the commercial plans pay him for each claim that goes through Office Ally but Medicare does not.I am starting to look at their EHR for $30/month. I really dislike with this whole thing that when we get an EHR or a practice management software, we are almost betrothed to them. They can jack up the prices or get taken over by another company and then you have to invest more time/money to switch. It really goes against our American market system. For instance, if Staples raises their prices, I can shop at WB Mason or Office Depot and am not stuck always with Staples. BUt if you spend thousands of dollars on an EMR and next year they decide the support cost has to go up 200%, you either pay up or spend more time/money to get another one> Who can really switch EMR's every year???My current EMR, Medinotes, was taken over by Ecclipsys a year ago and that in turn was taken over by Allscripts a few months ago!Thanks for letting me vent!Margaret Coughlan Re: patient portal I'm using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and includes by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem to like it. No structured e-visits with that. If you use the Office Ally "Practice Mate" PM module, which is free, I think you can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless you have a large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a monthly fee, but I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to submit claims? Dr. Chu? Jack > > Hi All, > I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a patient portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in improving efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well. > > > Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service, if so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my own billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge. > > Thanks all. > > Madhavi >

[Guest guest]

From what I understand all the clearinghouses work this way. That is they get paid by the insurance companies for the electronic claims. Most clearinghouses also charge the physicians who submit the claims so they essentially get paid on both ends.

Michele

To: Sent: Wed, December 1, 2010 8:19:39 PMSubject: Re: Re: office ally

Wait just a minute. Office Ally gets paid by the commercial insurer to process claims? So, BCBS or XYZ commercial payer gives OA a...?kickback!? But medicare does not/cannot give OA a kickback? This has a bad smell.

I am using office ally as a clearinghouse. I have Lytec as my practice management software. I went to them a few months ago when my prior clearinghouse was taken over by another company that wanted several hundred dollars/month. Office Ally is free, as long as less than 50% Medicare claims. I met the owner at a recent Primed and asked him how he can do that. He said the commercial plans pay him for each claim that goes through Office Ally but Medicare does not.I am starting to look at their EHR for $30/month. I really dislike with this whole thing that when we get an EHR or a practice management software, we are almost betrothed to them. They can jack up the prices or get taken over by another company and then you have to invest more time/money to switch. It really goes against our American market system. For instance, if Staples raises their prices, I can shop at WB Mason or Office Depot and am not stuck always with Staples. BUt if you spend

thousands of dollars on an EMR and next year they decide the support cost has to go up 200%, you either pay up or spend more time/money to get another one> Who can really switch EMR's every year???My current EMR, Medinotes, was taken over by Ecclipsys a year ago and that in turn was taken over by Allscripts a few months ago!Thanks for letting me vent!Margaret Coughlan Re: patient portal I'm

using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and includes by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem to like it. No structured e-visits with that. If you use the Office Ally "Practice Mate" PM module, which is free, I think you can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless you have a large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a monthly fee, but I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to submit claims? Dr. Chu? Jack > > Hi All, > I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a patient portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in improving efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well. > > > Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service, if so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my own

billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge. > > Thanks all. > > Madhavi >

[Guest guest]

" office ally is free unless you have >50%medicare " which of course FURTHER punishes those of us who take care of lots of medicare patientsget it? Isn;t that  sweet. I think everyday  about whether I should switch emrs- I hear X say oh this  does ABC so well and someone else says  Y does THIS so well

ly they a re all neanderthal and the damn country ought to have ONE or TWO and they talk to each other and we all grow up and leanr to  use them.Don;t other coutnries -like the Duthc- have one? AUstralia has two?

my hospital has meditech and the hospital owned practices just all got  E CW and the ER made a stink  and got T system Yes 3 emrs in one small hospital  systems. and noone talks to any other. can anyone spell  absurd?

Want to know what I really think?how much time  do you all spend scannign and attaching and filing and sorting and etc to coordiante notes not care but notes labs and papers? 20% of your day? Imean for pete's sake.

Pcps in this country ought to   just go on strike.

 

From what I understand all the clearinghouses work this way.  That is they get paid by the insurance companies for the electronic claims.  Most clearinghouses also charge the physicians who submit the claims so they essentially get paid on both ends.

 

Michele

To:

Sent: Wed, December 1, 2010 8:19:39 PMSubject: Re: Re: office ally

 

Wait just a minute.  Office Ally gets paid by the commercial insurer to process claims?  So, BCBS or XYZ commercial payer gives OA a...?kickback!?  But medicare does not/cannot give OA a kickback?  This has a bad smell.  

I am using office ally as a clearinghouse. I have Lytec as my practice management software. I went to them a few months ago when my prior clearinghouse was taken over by another company that wanted several hundred dollars/month. Office Ally is free, as long as less than 50% Medicare claims. I met the owner at a recent Primed and asked him how he can do that. He said the commercial plans pay him for each claim that goes through Office Ally but Medicare does not.

I am starting to look at their EHR for $30/month. I really dislike with this whole thing that when we get an EHR or a practice management software, we are almost betrothed to them. They can jack up the prices or get taken over by another company and then you have to invest more time/money to switch. It really goes against our American market system. For instance, if Staples raises their prices, I can shop at WB Mason or Office Depot and am not stuck always with Staples. BUt if you spend

thousands of dollars on an EMR and next year they decide the support cost has to go up 200%, you either pay up or spend more time/money to get another one> Who can really switch EMR's every year???My current EMR, Medinotes, was taken over by Ecclipsys a year ago and that in turn was taken over by Allscripts a few months ago!

Thanks for letting me vent!Margaret Coughlan Re: patient portal   I'm

using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and includes by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem to like it. No structured e-visits with that. If you use the Office Ally " Practice Mate " PM module, which is free, I think you can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless you have a large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a monthly fee, but I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to submit claims? Dr. Chu? 

Jack  

> > Hi All, > I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a patient portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in improving efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well. 

> > > Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service, if so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my own

billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge. > > Thanks all. > > Madhavi > 

-- PATIENTS-please remember  that email may not be entirely secure, and that Email is part of the medical  record and is placed into your  chart ( be careful what you say!)

Email is best used for appointment making and  brief  questionsEmail replies can be expected within 24 hours-Please CALL  if the  matter is more urgent .     MD    

     ph    fax impcenter.org

[Guest guest]

My guess is that Medicare doesn’t give a

kickback because they REQUIRE claims to come in electronically. The

commercials don’t yet….

Pratt

Office Manager

Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C

www.prattmd.info

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Kathleen Patton

Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010

5:20 PM

To:

Subject: Re:

Re: office ally

Wait just

a minute. Office Ally gets paid by the

commercial insurer to process claims? So, BCBS or XYZ

commercial payer gives OA a...?kickback!? But medicare does not/cannot

give OA a kickback? This has a bad smell.

I

am using office ally as a clearinghouse. I have Lytec as my practice management

software. I went to them a few months ago when my prior clearinghouse was taken

over by another company that wanted several hundred dollars/month. Office Ally

is free, as long as less than 50% Medicare claims. I met the owner at a recent

Primed and asked him how he can do that. He said the commercial plans pay him

for each claim that goes through Office Ally but Medicare does not.

I am starting to look at their EHR for $30/month. I really dislike with this

whole thing that when we get an EHR or a practice management software, we are

almost betrothed to them. They can jack up the prices or get taken over by

another company and then you have to invest more time/money to switch. It

really goes against our American market system. For instance, if Staples raises

their prices, I can shop at WB Mason or Office Depot and am not stuck always

with Staples. BUt if you spend thousands of dollars on an EMR and next year

they decide the support cost has to go up 200%, you either pay up or spend more

time/money to get another one> Who can really switch EMR's every year???

My current EMR, Medinotes, was taken over by Ecclipsys a year ago and that in

turn was taken over by Allscripts a few months ago!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Margaret Coughlan

Re: patient portal

I'm using Updox for a portal as well, primarily because it is cheap and

includes by faxing. Seems to work ok and my few patients who are using it seem

to like it. No structured e-visits with that.

If you use the Office Ally " Practice Mate " PM module, which is free,

I think you can submit charges through their clearing house for free, unless

you have a large percentage of Medicare patients... they then charge you a

monthly fee, but I think it is only $15. Anyone else using Office Ally to

submit claims? Dr. Chu?

Jack

>

> Hi All,

> I started an IMP in late Sept. I'm curious as to how many are using a

patient portal with secure email messaging and whether that has been helpful in

improving efficiency. A well designed patient portal seems to be a

differentiating feature of some of the lower end EHRs, ie cost as well.

>

>

> Also, those of you using Office Ally...do you use their billing service,

if so, what is the percentage they charge? I'm curious b/c I have been doing my

own billing and with 15 pts, the OA rep wasn't sure how much they would charge.

>

> Thanks all.

>

> Madhavi

>