Excelsior Orthopaedics, a thriving musculoskeletal center with seven locations in the Buffalo, New York, area, has eliminated charting backlogs and increased reimbursements by utilizing ScribeEMR medical coders to get all medical charts accurately coded and ready for billing within 48-72 hours after a patient’s visit.
Due to rapid growth of the practice ─ which offers a broad range of diagnoses and treatment including sports medicine, PT and OT ─ and the challenge to recruit skilled orthopaedic coders, the timeframe to code medical charts increased dramatically, which adversely impacted cash flow.
Excelsior turned to ScribeEMR medical coders to augment its medical coding team.
- ScribeEMR worked closely with the Excelsior team to develop a strategy to address shortfalls.
- ScribeEMR medical coders, trained for Excelsior’s specialty requirements, streamlined the entire revenue cycle process in just weeks.
- Periodic reviews and audits continuously improve medical coding and billing processes.
“The current labor market is challenging, and hiring and training qualified coders can be difficult,” says Pamela Larkin, director of revenue cycle management for Excelsior Orthopaedics. “ScribeEMR’s organized approach, and willingness to put in concerted efforts, has certainly helped us streamline our coding process, which helps the organization achieve faster reimbursement.”
Within weeks, ScribeEMR worked with Excelsior to eliminate a backlog of charts awaiting coding:
- All medical charts are now coded and ready for bill drop within 48-72 hours of a patient visit.
- ScribeEMR trains medical coders to ensure they follow Excelsior coding guidelines and policies.
- ScribeEMR medical coders can step in seamlessly to cover in-house absences and address rapid volume increases.
- All ScribeEMR medical coders are on top of Evaluation and Management (E/M) guidelines and ICD10 and CPT code updates.
“Accurate, compliant coding streamlines the accounts receivable cycle for faster reimbursements,” says Terry Ciesla, ScribeEMR senior vice president. “In a market where it’s hard to find qualified medical coders to fill staff positions, ScribeEMR can provide certified medical coders who use advanced tools and software to enter the right codes to bill the right amount for each diagnosis and treatment.”