It’s 9 PM on a Friday. You’re still at the office, scrambling to finish the initial credentialing applications for the new providers joining your practice. Your desk is covered with 2-inch-thick personnel files, but you’re still missing documentation for all three of the providers. The last time you spoke to Dr Smith, he was rifling through his attic for his MD diploma. Dr Miller can’t remember which CME course she took six months ago. And Dr White, who isn’t responding to your texts, calls, or emails, hasn’t finished his Delineation of Privileges form. Time’s running out, you’re exhausted, and in the back of your head, you’re wondering why your practice has to do all of this on paper. You’ve heard about credentialing software before, but it must be pretty expensive. Besides, there’s no way it could do everything you need – or else, why would you still be at the office?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Sound like a nightmare? For many practice managers, this is real.<\/p>\n Here’s the problem: <\/span>American healthcare is in crisis.<\/i><\/strong> The recent Obamacare health insurance law reform has brought in 32 million new patients (with an estimated 36 million <\/a>more joining Medicare in the next 20 years), but barely 100,000 physicians<\/a> currently practice in the U.S.<\/span>\u00a0We desperately need more doctors, and yet physician credentialing – the very process that vets a doctor for practice – remains the most broken, outdated system in the business.<\/span><\/p>\n Cost is the first (and the worst) issue. Every year, your medical practice could spend over $7,000<\/a> on each provider’s credentialing application.<\/span>\u00a0The average physician spends 43 minutes a day interacting with health plans instead of their patients while administrators spend 20 hours to credential every provider. Administrative tasks are so demanding that practices lose nearly $100,000<\/a> in staff wages every year. (If you belong to a specialty group, that number goes up.)<\/span>\u00a0Still, it’ll take 2-3 months before that new doctor can even start working… if everything goes smoothly. MCOs have strict application guidelines, and it’s tough to jump through all the hoops. One requirement is proof of malpractice insurance, which can range from $10,000-$100,000<\/a> or more a year per provider.<\/span>\u00a0You might get sticker shock, but insurance isn’t optional – not when medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Clerical medical errors can also cause giant problems. Up to 85%<\/a> of credentialing applications are incomplete.\u00a0<\/span>Leaving dates blank or writing a “See CV” note saves time, but the application will still get rejected. Is the provider’s state license still pending? Good luck. The average 60-90 day wait for credentialing can quickly become twice that, especially since health plans won’t process an incomplete application. <\/span>Can your practice wait that long?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n If your physicians aren’t credentialed in time, it’ll put the brakes on patient scheduling, delay billing and coding, and expose patients to a doctor who hasn’t been fully vetted. Medicare and Medicaid both block un-credentialed providers from billing for their services<\/a>. Skirt this rule by billing under another credentialed doctor’s name, and you’re looking at an audit.<\/span>\u00a0Plus, a provider without credentials hasn’t yet cleared the background checks, affiliation requests, and other security measures required for patient safety.<\/span><\/p>\n What<\/span> can<\/span><\/i> you do, then?\u00a0<\/span>Here’s some quick tips to ensure that your team of physicians is fully credentialed (and getting paid on time):<\/span><\/p>\n In the end, while you can’t dodge credentialing fees, you can avoid expensive mistakes. Update your systems. Keep your staff happy. Efficient credentialing can’t happen overnight, but it can always get better.<\/p>\n Ready to set up a quick demo with Modio? Sign up here.<\/a> This is the life of a typical healthcare practice manager: It’s 9 PM on a Friday. You’re still at the office, scrambling to finish the initial credentialing applications for the new providers joining your practice. Your desk is covered with 2-inch-thick personnel files, but you’re<\/p>\n![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/www.modiohealth.com\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2016-07-12-at-10.26.15-AM-1024x687.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"