Florida, Oregon, and Washington ~Newsletter 10/29/2012

Newsletter

October 29, 2012

Chiropractic Medicare Seminar Dates:

11-3-12     Wenatchee, WA - Wenatchee Conference Center, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

11-10-12   Chicago, IL - Guest speaker at the Simplify Conference (Chirotouch) Postponed

11-29-12   Pacific, WA -  King Oscar Hotel, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

11-29-12   Everett-Mukilteo, WA-Staybridge Suites, Mukilteo/Everett, 6:00 to 10:00 pm.

12-1-12     Portland, OR - Holiday Inn, Airport, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

12-8-12     Orlando, FL -  Clarion Inn & Suites, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

Chiropractic Medicare & Compliance

Florida Chiropractors and Staff:

     Of all the Important Chiropractic issues, Medicare hits the top of your important list.  You have nearly the highest number of seniors residing in your state and they need and deserve Chiropractic care.

     On Saturday, December 8th, I will be at the Clarion Inn and Suites, Orlando, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm covering critical information for Chiropractors and their staff.  In this 4 hour presentation, I will cover everything from the important ABN to becoming Medicare Compliant, going paperless, and the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program to get money back from the government.

     This information is critical if you wish to be in Chiropractic practice in 2015.  The program registration fee is low, the presentation is fun and very informative, plus by attending, you will receive a CD containing important information you can use in your office.

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     This coming weekend, Saturday, November 3rd, I will be speaking with Chiropractors and Staff in Wenatchee, Washington for Dr. Brad Summers.  The presentation is from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  However, I will be back in the state of Washington on Thursday, November 29th, morning in Pacific and the evening in Mukilteo/Everett.

Have questions? Give Dr. Street a call today at (618) 395-3800.

Learn, Compliance, Paperless & Attestation

Newsletter
October 22, 2012
Chiropractic Medicare
Learn, Compliance, Paperless & Attestation
Now is not the time to procrastinate!  If you plan on being in Chiropractic practice in 2015....listen up!  You have a choice.  Either get with it or get ready to retire!

Now that I have your attention, here are the steps necessary to wade through this Medicare process.  The process is not as extreme as first impression. 

1. Learn the correct way to do Chiropractic Medicare.  If you do not do Medicare correctly, all else will not be effective.  If you have attended our presentation or have our Chiropractic Medicare DVD & booklet, review the DVD and start doing Medicare correctly.
2. The Federal law says we must become Medicare Compliant. Follow this link: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Contracting/MedicareContractingReform/Downloads/compliance.pdf  They provide seven (7) categories we must respond to by creating a Medicare Compliance Program and procedures in your practice.
3. Electronic Billing and Going Paperless
1. Nearly all Chiropractic offices are billing Medicare electronically. If you are not, you are going to be left behind and soon will be cut in Medicare reimbursement. Call your Medicare carrier, ask the carrier to help you bill electronically and follow their guidelines. Do not put it it off another day.
2. Going paperless is fabulous as long as you have a good Chiropractic software in your practice. I use Chirotouch software. This software leads you through the process of becoming paperless. I have to say, after doing written notes for forty-four (44) years, it is absolutely great to make a few clicks on the computer and not only have S.O.A.P. notes completed, but also produce "Documentation" by Federal Standards for Medicare, PI, etc.
4. Attestation: Once you have used and learned the software and follow the specific programs in the software, you will be ready to "attest" as to following the guidelines of a paperless practice. The government will now pay you an incentive dollar amount in direct proportion as to the number of Medicare visits you have. Learn more about the EHR Incentive Program. Remember....only the use of Certified EHR (those that meet specific federal standards for Meaningful Use) can qualify for incentive payment.  Do you know if your software is qualified? Follow this link: http://oncchpl.force.com/ehrcert

Have questions?
Give Dr. Street a call today at (618) 395-3800.

      

Chiropractic Medicare Federal Guidelines

Newsletter

October 8, 2012

 Chiropractic Medicare

Federal Guidelines and

Seminar Dates: Washington, Oregon, and Florida!

 

 Medicare carriers across America, with the approval of CMS, have and are doing the job on chiropractic care. First, they have led chiropractors away from that inwhich chiropractic is all about, locating and correcting vertebral subluxations.

 

The Federal Guidelines click or follow this link to CMS (Medicare) website:

 http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/bp102c15.pdf

 

The Federal Guidelines indicate the primary and ONLY job of a chiropractor in Medicare is to locate and correct vertebral subluxations. Back in 1973 we were mandated to take x-rays to prove the subluxation and once proven, we were reimbursed to adjust those subluxations. There was and still are NO limits in Medicare for the chiropractic adjustment.


Over the years the Medicare carriers have led the chiropractors down the yellow brick road of “treating” patients symptoms. Developing a “treatment plan” specifically related to the patient’s symptoms and NOT related to the correction of a vertebral subluxation which is indicated by Federal  guidelines.


Now the past years statistics on chiropractors indicate chiropractors treating patient symptoms are doing a poor job of documenting the necessity of treatment care so the Medicare carriers believe we are billing for maintenance care since most chiropractors have no idea the correct way to “document” the chiropractic care necessary.


Chiropractors should practice like chiropractors. Use the patient’s symptoms for diagnosis, locating the problem and decision making, but do not “treat” patient symptoms. There are plenty of other health care provider that ONLY treat symptoms.


Consider this scenario: New 74 year old patient comes into your office for chiropractic care after picking up a box at home hurting his low back. You do the workup including exam and x-rays and find a subluxation of L5. It has only been there 35 years….. you know that because it has proliferating arthritis that has been developing for the past 34 years because he never got it corrected. The L5, S1 articulations has soft tissue insult, swelling, etc., indicating sprain/strain. (diagnosis: 739.3, arthritis, sprain/strain)

This is an exacerbation on a new patient, soft tissue tear in a predisposed chronic subluxated, degenerative joint. By “documenting” this specific event correctly, this exacerbation is worth up to 6 visits. However, if chiropractors listen to our patients and understand the most active patient’s in your practice are your seniors, you will soon find your seniors have all kinds of exacerbations. Your job is to locate the subluxation, document the exacerbation by Federal Guidelines and correct subluxations.

 

Many Medicare carriers across America have stepped up and set specific visit guidelines for Medicare patients. Even though the Federal chiropractic guideline says there are no limits in Medicare for the chiropractic adjustment.

 

If you are in one of these states, (Tennessee, New Jersey, etc.) and you do chiropractic Medicare correctly and meet your carrier limit, go through the appeals process. Once you get to the Administrative Law Judge, if you have done your job like you have learned in our presentation or DVD, you should have a positive return from the ALJ.

 

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Please give me a call.

 

Warmest regards,

Gary R. Street, D.C.

400 S. West Street

Olney, IL 62450

1-800-MY CHIRO

drgrstreet@nwcable.net

www.chiropracticmedicare.com

www.youtube.com/DrGRStreet 
 

Fall Seminar Schedule:

 

11/29/12

King Oscar Hotel, Pacific, WA 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

 

11/29/12

Staybridge Suites Mukilteo-Everett, Mukilteo, WA, 6:00 to 10:00 pm

 

12/1/12

Portland, Oregon Medicare Presentation 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

 

12/8/12

Orlando, Florida Medicare Presentation 8:30 am to 12:30 pm