Training Seminars

Billing and Collections Procedures and Form Completion

HEALTHCENTS can improve your cash flow by helping you implement proper billing and collection procedures.

Our experts can train your billing department to correctly complete HCFA 1500 and UB92 claim forms and eliminate the timely process of claims resubmission and reprocessing.

We can also help you collect on claims that have been denied or incorrectly adjudicated.

How to Review Managed Care Contracts and Negotiate Rates

Do you find the prospect of negotiating managed care contracts intimidating?

Can you establish reasonable target rates that will increase your revenues?

How do you determine your true cost of doing business?

What does it take to create a relationship with the contracting partner that will expand your referral basis?

What do state and federal laws and regulations require of payers and stipulate how they must act? But how do you do that?

HEALTHCENTS knows how to answer these questions. Our experts can give you the know-how to negotiate winning contracts.

For more information on how to do this, see "Negotiate Winning Contracts," EMS Insider, January 2002, and "A Managed Care Contract Negotiation Checklist," EMS Insider, April 2002.

Targeting your Marketing Efforts: How to Maximize your Return on Investment

Marketing services to your clinical providers means more than simply selling a product. You must also offer reliability, integrity and honesty, along with consistent service at cost-effective rates.

Ensuring that clinical providers use your services takes more than simply giving them a good price. You also must know your market, know your community's needs and know your competition.

By understanding your market, knowing your community's needs and acknowledging your competition, you can develop a winning strategy for increasing your call volume and maximizing your revenue stream.

Before launching a successful marketing campaign, Healthcents can assist you and your staff in increasing sales by familiarizing your clients with the services you that you offer. We will train you in the following areas:

1. How to determine the competitive environment and your customer's critical issues,

a. How to survey your competitors; include queries about their pricing, customer care, professionalism and their availability.

b. How to find out which of your competitors, if any that they already use and what they think about the quality of those services.

c. How to determine which factors your clients review to determine who they use for services?

D. Which factors most influences those decisions; price, the quickest response times, the easiest PCS form to complete or crew attitudes?

2. Getting in the Door: How to make the initial contact

a. Classroom exercise: Encourage staff to contact your company for service and offer to make a return visit in a week or two to discuss their experiences.

B. Without forcing them to call you, you are planting the seed of customer service by checking on their progress.

3. How to Secure a Contract:

a. Many hospitals require you to have an executed contract with that facility before you can market your services within the hospital. This contract can be as simple as a one-page letter of agreement outlining such basic points as rates, payment and billing guidelines, procedure for terminating the agreement and the services provided.

b. How to demonstrate to Healthcare administrators who are cost conscious that your services are of the highest quality and simultaneously cost competitive.

c. Remember, your marketing efforts must comply in all respects with the federal anti-kickback statute which prohibits giving money or items of value to facilities in return for transport referrals. Consult your legal counsel for questions on particular marketing practices.

4. Ensuring Maximum Customer Service Classroom exercise:

The third challenge requires simultaneously addressing customer service issues while increasing awareness of your services. Your clients must feel confidence in your company from the initial point of contact with dispatch through completion of the services.

a. How to Exhibit enthusiasm about your services

b. How to Offer to help by facilitating problem-solving or researching inquiries.

c. How to get customer feedback if you receive a negative response.

5. How to Maintain your Customer Relationships and sustain long-term business relationships

a. Treating your business colleagues as friends and as a valued member of your community.

b. Classroom customer care exercise: Always be courteous, friendly and respectful of staff's time. Example; plan to make your marketing calls in the afternoon to avoid the usual rigors of morning routine and unforeseen emergencies.

c. Setting up a time efficient marketing schedule: Consistently revisit all providers, not just those that give you less business.

D. Remember, marketing involves both presenting the services you offer and ensuring the ongoing quality of services you provide.