Guest guest Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 sorry for the ignorance- what exactly do you mean by" automated posting"? claudia " Brady, MD" wrote: , I’m with e-MDs and switched to automated posting a year or two ago. It saves oodles of time. Very cool. You’ll love it. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 7:36 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP PS: Try to look for one that has integrated billing. E-MDS has integrated billing. Steve finishes the notes and signs them off with the CPT and ICD-9 codes embedded. I build the invoices the next day based on the charges in the charts, review for errors and omissions (usually very few), build the file to send to the clearinghouse (which is scrubbed by e-MDS), and billing is done in about 30 minutes total. Claims are scrubbed again at the clearinghouse, so I know that by the time they’re at the insurance company that they are getting clean claims. I have less than a 2.5% error rate with this method and very few denials. We are set up for EFT with all of the big insurance companies, so the money usually hits our account less than 21 days after seeing the patient. Posting on the back side is still a little slow because I haven’t given up manual posting yet. That’s the next step to more automation in our office… Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 4:28 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP e-MDs is the way we went. Just as easy as NextGen, but way cheaper. We have 1 desktop up front, the MA has a desktop, and the MD’s each have a tablet. Plus the server, image server, card scanner, printer, and regular scanner, and of course the wires, wireless router, etc, etc. It’s a little more costly to start up than an ASP, but less expensive in the long run, according to my brother (who is in IT himself). Think of it in terms of renting an apartment versus buying a house. If you go for having your own server, though, be prepared to do some IT work yourself or to pay someone to do it for you. Depending on what IT guys you talk to will depend on what they recommend. Our guy (based out of Maine and we’re in California) helps us try to keep our costs down. Another IT firm that I recently talked to tried to convince us that we needed about $1500 more equipment ( in ME told us that we could get the same amount of safety net for under $100), and they don’t recommend wireless to anyone and go with desktops in each exam room (read: more $$). We’ve never had any problems with the wireless except when Steve accidentally switches it “off” on his tablet (there is a sliding button on the side – dumb design – that turns it off). The only thing we regret is that we got stuck in a really bad lease deal (won’t do that again!!!), so it’s ending up costing us more in the long run than it probably should have. But overall, we’re very happy we went this route. We have 2 FTE employees for 1.5 FTE MD’s. If you have more specific questions about e-MDs in particular, please feel free to email me privately at karenprattmd (DOT) info Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Chirag PatelSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:40 PMTo: Subject: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice "don't let anybody sell you an EMR"). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice " don't let anybody sell you an EMR " ). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia" Brady, MD" wrote: , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of claudia panzerSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:48 PMTo: Subject: automated posting sorry for the ignorance- what exactly do you mean by" automated posting"? claudia " Brady, MD" <drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote: , I’m with e-MDs and switched to automated posting a year or two ago. It saves oodles of time. Very cool. You’ll love it. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 7:36 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP PS: Try to look for one that has integrated billing. E-MDS has integrated billing. Steve finishes the notes and signs them off with the CPT and ICD-9 codes embedded. I build the invoices the next day based on the charges in the charts, review for errors and omissions (usually very few), build the file to send to the clearinghouse (which is scrubbed by e-MDS), and billing is done in about 30 minutes total. Claims are scrubbed again at the clearinghouse, so I know that by the time they’re at the insurance company that they are getting clean claims. I have less than a 2.5% error rate with this method and very few denials. We are set up for EFT with all of the big insurance companies, so the money usually hits our account less than 21 days after seeing the patient. Posting on the back side is still a little slow because I haven’t given up manual posting yet. That’s the next step to more automation in our office… Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 4:28 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP e-MDs is the way we went. Just as easy as NextGen, but way cheaper. We have 1 desktop up front, the MA has a desktop, and the MD’s each have a tablet. Plus the server, image server, card scanner, printer, and regular scanner, and of course the wires, wireless router, etc, etc. It’s a little more costly to start up than an ASP, but less expensive in the long run, according to my brother (who is in IT himself). Think of it in terms of renting an apartment versus buying a house. If you go for having your own server, though, be prepared to do some IT work yourself or to pay someone to do it for you. Depending on what IT guys you talk to will depend on what they recommend. Our guy (based out of Maine and we’re in California) helps us try to keep our costs down. Another IT firm that I recently talked to tried to convince us that we needed about $1500 more equipment ( in ME told us that we could get the same amount of safety net for under $100), and they don’t recommend wireless to anyone and go with desktops in each exam room (read: more $$). We’ve never had any problems with the wireless except when Steve accidentally switches it “off” on his tablet (there is a sliding button on the side – dumb design – that turns it off). The only thing we regret is that we got stuck in a really bad lease deal (won’t do that again!!!), so it’s ending up costing us more in the long run than it probably should have. But overall, we’re very happy we went this route. We have 2 FTE employees for 1.5 FTE MD’s. If you have more specific questions about e-MDs in particular, please feel free to email me privately at karenprattmd (DOT) info Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Chirag PatelSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:40 PMTo: Subject: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice "don't let anybody sell you an EMR"). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Clearing houses: Some have no charge, I believe. Does someone know which? thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia " Brady, MD " wrote: , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice " don't let anybody sell you an EMR " ). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I just started with Office Ally, which many IMP's use. They have been incredibly helpful so far, and do not charge. Sharon At 06:38 PM 2/17/2008, you wrote: Clearing houses: Some have no charge, I believe. Does someone know which? On 2/16/08, claudia panzer <endocrineimp@... > wrote: thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia " Brady, MD " < drbrady@...> wrote: , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice " don't let anybody sell you an EMR " ). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I use Solace, as Office Ally doesn't handle two of my larger payers. I think Office Ally is more eager to help, so would go with them if you can. On Feb 17, 2008, at 8:40 PM, Sharon McCoy , M.D. wrote:I just started with Office Ally, which many IMP's use. They have been incredibly helpful so far, and do not charge.Sharon At 06:38 PM 2/17/2008, you wrote:Clearing houses: Some have no charge, I believe. Does someone know which?On 2/16/08, claudia panzer <endocrineimp > wrote: thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia" Brady, MD" < drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote:,E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELPI opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice "don't let anybody sell you an EMR"). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I don't use anything as I stick my head in the sand and outsourceBut SOLACE now at least they have the name right!! I use Solace, as Office Ally doesn't handle two of my larger payers. I think Office Ally is more eager to help, so would go with them if you can. On Feb 17, 2008, at 8:40 PM, Sharon McCoy , M.D. wrote: I just started with Office Ally, which many IMP's use. They have been incredibly helpful so far, and do not charge.Sharon At 06:38 PM 2/17/2008, you wrote: Clearing houses: Some have no charge, I believe. Does someone know which? thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia " Brady, MD " wrote: ,E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELPI opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice " don't let anybody sell you an EMR " ). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. -- If you are a patient please allow up to 4-8 hours for a reply by email/please note the new email address/e mail may not be entirely secure/ MD ph fax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 I ditto what said. I also use Gateway EDI (www.gatewayedi.com) and am very happy with them. I haven’t been brave enough to do automated postings yet, but it’s on my “to do” list this week to try it. For $99/month they have great customer service and you know that your claims are clean before they get to the insurance companies, greatly reducing the number of payor rejections. Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Brady, MD Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 7:34 AM To: Subject: RE: automated posting , I use Gateway EDI. Overall, I am very happy with them. I have yet to have a question they could not answer. I can do the automated posting, download specific EOBs (so I don’t have to cut and paste when filing a secondary), and all the rejections come back with a specific reason for the rejection, so I can easily track down the problem and correct it. There is also the ability to check tomorrow’s patients insurance information, so you know ahead of time which patients insurances might get rejected allowing you to correct the information when they come in. Unfortunately, this is not as helpful when most of your schedule is open access. For these services, I pay $99/month. Yes, that is a fair amount, but it allows me to do everything through their one website, so for me I think it is worth it. -----Original Message----- From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of claudia panzer Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 5:18 PM To: Subject: RE: automated posting thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia " Brady, MD " <drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote: , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. -----Original Message----- From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of claudia panzer Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:48 PM To: Subject: automated posting sorry for the ignorance- what exactly do you mean by " automated posting " ? claudia " Brady, MD " <drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote: , I’m with e-MDs and switched to automated posting a year or two ago. It saves oodles of time. Very cool. You’ll love it. -----Original Message----- From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Pratt Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 7:36 PM To: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP PS: Try to look for one that has integrated billing. E-MDS has integrated billing. Steve finishes the notes and signs them off with the CPT and ICD-9 codes embedded. I build the invoices the next day based on the charges in the charts, review for errors and omissions (usually very few), build the file to send to the clearinghouse (which is scrubbed by e-MDS), and billing is done in about 30 minutes total. Claims are scrubbed again at the clearinghouse, so I know that by the time they’re at the insurance company that they are getting clean claims. I have less than a 2.5% error rate with this method and very few denials. We are set up for EFT with all of the big insurance companies, so the money usually hits our account less than 21 days after seeing the patient. Posting on the back side is still a little slow because I haven’t given up manual posting yet. That’s the next step to more automation in our office… Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Pratt Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 4:28 PM To: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP e-MDs is the way we went. Just as easy as NextGen, but way cheaper. We have 1 desktop up front, the MA has a desktop, and the MD’s each have a tablet. Plus the server, image server, card scanner, printer, and regular scanner, and of course the wires, wireless router, etc, etc. It’s a little more costly to start up than an ASP, but less expensive in the long run, according to my brother (who is in IT himself). Think of it in terms of renting an apartment versus buying a house. If you go for having your own server, though, be prepared to do some IT work yourself or to pay someone to do it for you. Depending on what IT guys you talk to will depend on what they recommend. Our guy (based out of Maine and we’re in California) helps us try to keep our costs down. Another IT firm that I recently talked to tried to convince us that we needed about $1500 more equipment ( in ME told us that we could get the same amount of safety net for under $100), and they don’t recommend wireless to anyone and go with desktops in each exam room (read: more $$). We’ve never had any problems with the wireless except when Steve accidentally switches it “off” on his tablet (there is a sliding button on the side – dumb design – that turns it off). The only thing we regret is that we got stuck in a really bad lease deal (won’t do that again!!!), so it’s ending up costing us more in the long run than it probably should have. But overall, we’re very happy we went this route. We have 2 FTE employees for 1.5 FTE MD’s. If you have more specific questions about e-MDs in particular, please feel free to email me privately at karenprattmd (DOT) info Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Chirag Patel Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:40 PM To: Subject: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice " don't let anybody sell you an EMR " ). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Availity is free, so far so good after being switched from thin,$40/month. We use Availity here in Illinois using eMDs Planning on autopost HRA later this year after CMS and NPI issues resolved. Pratt wrote: I ditto what said. I also use Gateway EDI (www.gatewayedi.com) and am very happy with them. I haven’t been brave enough to do automated postings yet, but it’s on my “to do” list this week to try it. For $99/month they have great customer service and you know that your claims are clean before they get to the insurance companies, greatly reducing the number of payor rejections. Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Brady, MDSent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 7:34 AMTo: Subject: RE: automated posting , I use Gateway EDI. Overall, I am very happy with them. I have yet to have a question they could not answer. I can do the automated posting, download specific EOBs (so I don’t have to cut and paste when filing a secondary), and all the rejections come back with a specific reason for the rejection, so I can easily track down the problem and correct it. There is also the ability to check tomorrow’s patients insurance information, so you know ahead of time which patients insurances might get rejected allowing you to correct the information when they come in. Unfortunately, this is not as helpful when most of your schedule is open access. For these services, I pay $99/month. Yes, that is a fair amount, but it allows me to do everything through their one website, so for me I think it is worth it. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of claudia panzerSent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 5:18 PMTo: Subject: RE: automated posting thank you- this is interesting.. what clearing house do you use? claudia" Brady, MD" <drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote: , E-MDs has the ability to download the EOBs from the clearinghouse and with a click of a button or two, post them to the claim. Although the process does not save time for a single paid claim, it really helps with batched claims (if you have more than 3-4 from one insurer). If you are e-filing through a clearinghouse, contact the clearinghouse to see if they will get you set up. E-MDs should be able to help as well. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of claudia panzerSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:48 PMTo: Subject: automated posting sorry for the ignorance- what exactly do you mean by" automated posting"? claudia " Brady, MD" <drbradythevillagedoctor (DOT) hrcoxmail.com> wrote: , I’m with e-MDs and switched to automated posting a year or two ago. It saves oodles of time. Very cool. You’ll love it. -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 7:36 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP PS: Try to look for one that has integrated billing. E-MDS has integrated billing. Steve finishes the notes and signs them off with the CPT and ICD-9 codes embedded. I build the invoices the next day based on the charges in the charts, review for errors and omissions (usually very few), build the file to send to the clearinghouse (which is scrubbed by e-MDS), and billing is done in about 30 minutes total. Claims are scrubbed again at the clearinghouse, so I know that by the time they’re at the insurance company that they are getting clean claims. I have less than a 2.5% error rate with this method and very few denials. We are set up for EFT with all of the big insurance companies, so the money usually hits our account less than 21 days after seeing the patient. Posting on the back side is still a little slow because I haven’t given up manual posting yet. That’s the next step to more automation in our office… Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of PrattSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 4:28 PMTo: Subject: RE: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP e-MDs is the way we went. Just as easy as NextGen, but way cheaper. We have 1 desktop up front, the MA has a desktop, and the MD’s each have a tablet. Plus the server, image server, card scanner, printer, and regular scanner, and of course the wires, wireless router, etc, etc. It’s a little more costly to start up than an ASP, but less expensive in the long run, according to my brother (who is in IT himself). Think of it in terms of renting an apartment versus buying a house. If you go for having your own server, though, be prepared to do some IT work yourself or to pay someone to do it for you. Depending on what IT guys you talk to will depend on what they recommend. Our guy (based out of Maine and we’re in California) helps us try to keep our costs down. Another IT firm that I recently talked to tried to convince us that we needed about $1500 more equipment ( in ME told us that we could get the same amount of safety net for under $100), and they don’t recommend wireless to anyone and go with desktops in each exam room (read: more $$). We’ve never had any problems with the wireless except when Steve accidentally switches it “off” on his tablet (there is a sliding button on the side – dumb design – that turns it off). The only thing we regret is that we got stuck in a really bad lease deal (won’t do that again!!!), so it’s ending up costing us more in the long run than it probably should have. But overall, we’re very happy we went this route. We have 2 FTE employees for 1.5 FTE MD’s. If you have more specific questions about e-MDs in particular, please feel free to email me privately at karenprattmd (DOT) info Pratt Office Manager Oak Tree Internal Medicine P.C. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Chirag PatelSent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:40 PMTo: Subject: WANT AN EMR PLEASE HELP I opened 4 months ago, started with paper charts (from a previous graduate from my residency's advice since she invested in an EMR strait out of residency when she opened up and was just a huge cost from the beginning for her, so her advice "don't let anybody sell you an EMR"). I'm not enjoying the paper world much, and with no staff, so much tedious work making a chart, getting the billing together, pulling charts , and in general, I'm a very organized person, and I just don't feel organized with paper, especially since I got spoiled using NextGen for one year in residency. Currently, I'm looking at Amazing Charts, Praxis, and my billing software is coming out with a new web based EMR as well, so we'll see. The questions I have are, if I choose an EMR, any recommendations on what hardware to purchase? tablet PC's? one laptop? numerous desktops? As most of you understand, I want to be prudent and not splurge, so getting by with something affordable would be great as well. What does everybody do here? When your MA (if you have one) vitals the patients, how does she input it ? Does she/he have their own PC? Basically, I just need to know if I need one tablet , and I'm done, or a desktop for each room? What works and what doesn't based on everybody's experience. By the way, are there ANY family practice docs on this list serve that went solo right after residency? Not sure if I'm a lone wolf here. Thanks! Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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