February 2007 - Volume 1 Issue 4 |
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NPI: Get it. Share it. Use it. The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) notified their email subscribers with a recent message from CMS to "Get it. Share it. Use it" in reference to NPI numbers. As of the date of this newsletter, there were only 118 days left to get your NPI (National Provider Identifier). Failure to prepare could result in a disruption in cash flow. We have talked to many of you who are already preparing for NPI and the new 1500 Claim Form (HCFA). You have applied for your NPI number(s), renewed your Helper maintenance contract and are ready to upgrade when 7.3 is released. However, we still talk to Helper users and other providers everyday who are not aware of NPI and do not realize the impact that it will have on their revenue if they are not prepared. Even if you do not send electronic claims, your paper claims will be rejected if they are not in the new format. If you have not yet obtained your NPI number(s) please do so immediately. Not sure what an NPI is and how you can "get it, share it, and use it?"
As you are aware, the NPI (National Provider ID) mandate goes into effect on May 23, 2007. At that time, all claims are required to include this new ID (or IDs, depending on your practice). You should contact your payers to determine how many NPIs you may need for your practice and if you need any additional or secondary IDs on your claims. You can learn more about NPI and how to apply at the CMS Web Site. Once you have the information you need to send to the payer, VantageMed’s Helper 7.3 software supports the translation of the information you enter into the appropriate fields for electronic ANSI 837 and paper “1500” claim formats. As part of the NPI implementation, CMS has also created a new “1500” Claim form which is required as of April 2007. This form is similar to the old HCFA claim form but now also accommodates the NPI and secondary IDs. New Features in 7.3 to Support NPIs
Another reason for these changes is to support qualifiers for your IDs. For every secondary ID that you enter, you will be able to select from the appropriate list of qualifiers to attach to the ID. Also, you now have the ability to determine which ID goes to which insurance payer when you set up the Claim Settings in the Insurance Companies Library.
When you upgrade to Helper 7.3, we will convert your existing provider IDs but do suggest that you review them after upgrading to make sure they are all in the proper fields and associated with the correct qualifiers prior to generating claims for the first time. In addition to NPI support, some other changes in 7.3 are:
*Important note regarding Microsoft Vista: We have had many inquiries regarding Vista, the new version of Microsoft Windows. Version 7.3 has not been completely tested and does not support Vista. We plan to complete Vista testing later this year.
If you are on a current maintenance contract and have not upgraded to version 7.2, please visit our web site to upgrade or call sales@helper.com to order a CD. We do not recommend waiting until 7.3 is released to upgrade from an older version. Upgrading to version 7.2 now will make the process of upgrading to 7.3 much easier.
Using an older verion of Helper? Don't let your revenue be affected by rejected claims. Prepare for NPI and the new HCFA Claim Forms by upgrading to the latest version of Helper. Upgrade now and you can save 25% on the software and we'll take an additional 20% off the cost of your maintenance renewal... Here for more information and to download a free trial of Helper 7.2. e-Prescribing with InfoScriber Helper now has an interface with the InfoScriber online prescription writing application. This allows you to write and manage your prescriptions electronically as well as create customized templates for maintaining patient notes. This is what one of our customers had to say about InfoScriber: "Infoscriber has been very helpful to my practice. It helps to keep track of prescriptions, to easily look up a patient's prescription history, and is a great time saver following the initial effort to input data." Richard Naimark M.D., Chestnut Hill Counseling Associates.
Using our ROI calculator, you can see for youself how switching to InfoScriber from the old pen and pencil method of prescribing can eliminate errors and costs. For more information on InfoScriber including pricing details, please contact Sales at 800-343-5737 or sales@helper.com.
We have good news and bad news. The good news is that customers are continually telling us that SecureConnect reduces the number of days from claim filing to reimbursement. It also enables you to get timely error reports from payers so that you can rebill promptly. The bad news is that customers are finding SecureConnect so helpful that they are enrolling in record numbers and the SC team is working long hours to keep up with requests. Wait, there's more good news! You can now visit our web site to track your enrollment and claims processing status. Just login to MyHelper where you will find links for SecureConnect Enrollment Status and Claims Tracking Request. If you are not currently using SecureConnect 5, the upgrade is available on the downloads page of our web site. SecureConnect allows you to submit HIPAA-compliant electronic claims, receive electronic remittance advice and send electronic patient statements. For pricing and enrollment information, contact us at 800-343-5737 or email sales@helper.com. If you haven't tried SecureConnect yet, you'll be glad you did. The full release notes for SecureConnect 5 can be viewed on our website here.
Online training classes will be temporarily suspended. An unexpected number of Helper users have been upgrading from older versions and the increased volume in support means that we need all staff on the phones assisting customers. We have already added new staff members and are hiring additional staff so that we can better serve our customers and resume our training classes. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit our VM Campus site where you will find a library of self-guided training materials.
Helper Tip: Upgrading Please be sure to review all of the documentation provided in your upgrade package. It includes important information you will need to complete the upgrade.
We also suggest that you do the following before you begin the upgrade process:
*Note: If you are upgrading to Helper 7.2 from a previous version, the installation password is included on the advisory page of the installation instructions.
SecureConnect: Electronic Billing Rejections When entering data into the Helper program for submitting claims electronically, you should not use any characters other than letters or numbers. Your claims may be rejected if you have spaces, dashes, hyphens, commas, periods, asterisks or any other non-alpha/numeric entries.
Looking to Upgrade your CPT and ICD-9 Codes In order to receive the 2007 CPT code update, please contact sales at 800-343-5737 or sales@helper.com. Upon purchasing the update, you will receive an unlock code to download the new codes off our website. VantageMed will then remit payment to the AMA. Please note that you must now purchase the code updates separately and that upgrading to a newer version of Helper will not update your codes. The updated codes also include the updated ICD codes as those become available. |
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