Home Forums Discussions Coding and Billing PM module: a user poll

I'd like to post a survey based on the following: I have a PM software program that is excellent for my office. I do not want to change to any other PM software program, it's nothing against AC, but I simply don't want to change what works extremely well for us. I'm curious how other small businesses like mine will react to this portion of the software when released.

Here are the questions:
1) do you like your current PM software?
2) do you expect to change your PM solution?
3) do you plan to try using the AC PM module when it's released?
4) do you anticipate switching from your current PM solution to the AC PM?

I would add:

do you think a PM module is necessary to attract future sales?

NO, Yes, Yes, Yes.

Dont like my pm software
Cant switch as I am 1 of 8 and the only one doing AC or any EMR for that matter
I will be looking at PM from AC as you never know if one day you could be solo again

Our PM software works fine. We might switch when/if AC has a PM system that is easy, clean, and most important bug free and proven. The PM module is of some importance in attracting new physicians, less so for those who have a woking PM system in place.

Not thrilled with Medisoft, but not really looking to change. I might try it, but unless it is so much better than what I am already using, I doubt I would make the switch.
Would like to see AC stick to the EMR side of things where they really SHINE!!

We use Medisoft and it works ok for us, but I would like an integrated PM/EMR solution. For one thing, we won't have to enter/update demographics twice. However, I don't expect to be an early adopter of AC's PM. My office staff would string me up by the thumbs if we switched only to find the software buggy.

I use an outside biller and send paper copies of everything to them. Two years ago I hoped for an AC PM to allow me to bring it in-house. Now I have grown more comfortable with our billing solution. I may play with the PM, but am in no hurry to use it.

I do believe that in the competitive EMR market, AC must have a PM to continue to grow.

I agree Jon. The EMR is highly competitive, AC needs that component to be competitive. The buggy nature of things in the AC programming though could be disastrous for AC if that trend affects a PM solution.

We use Emedware by Sage. It is rock solid. It works, plain and simple. Never a bug, never a crash, never a hiccup. Never a problem. They notified us proactively about HIPAA compliance 5010 and had an update prepared and simple to install. It runs all the reports we need to have in order to stay on top of the business. We do billing in-house.

I wish however that the two programs interfaced so we didn't have to input information twice.

What PM software do you use please?

I use Soft Tactics. They are in Ottumwa, Ia. I have used them for 23 years. I would be interested in a seamless, PM aspect in AC.

the all in one holy grail is something that will be hard to attain. I hope AC can pull it off. Good luck and prayerful support to the AC team!

I too am looking forward to the PM. I use MTBC and am less than satified.

I have an outside biller who has an inbox in AC and is able to access it on a remote server.

Once I sign off on a chart with the CPT and diagnosis codes I forward the chart to her inbox. She is able to complete the claim form and send it electronically from her computer.

This works really well for me.

I personally do not feel the need to add billing softwear as I am still learning with Dragon, Updox and other interfaces.

I really love the AC medical record and notes- it comes as close as can be to the perfect hybrid between an old style chart note and EMR.

The place where I feel AC needs improvement is in the "orders" section. In addition I am not wild about the e-prescribing , especially with respect to renewal requests, formulary lists,etc. Version 6 is better than previous versions, though, so it is livable.

Sue, it sounds like you are outsourcing your billing. Therefore they are using some type of billing software to keep track what they are submitting on your behalf. Do I understand this correctly?

Yes, Adam- you are right.

1) do you like your current PM software? no
2) do you expect to change your PM solution? yes
3) do you plan to try using the AC PM module when it's released? soon after formal version is released.
4) do you anticipate switching from your current PM solution to the AC PM? yes.

1) Most of the time
2) Depends on how robust and stable the AC version is
3) Yes
4) See # 2

Hello Again,

The Pm module we are working on will have features that even users not adopting the PM aspect will enjoy. There will finally be an actual check in and check out process. This will allow you to update patient information and define an office workflow ensuring all the necessary forms have been signed, copays collected and orders and receipts handled. I am very excited about these new features. In addition there will be a method to confirm that patients have been contacted to confirm their upcoming appointments.

I am looking forward to seeing how this will be used by our practices both the ones that add the billing component as well those that do not.


Claire

We do NOT have a PM and we DO outsource our billing. We have gone back and forth on the concept of bringing it back in house verses remaining with the outsource company at times. Also at times we stop and think about attempting to leave the 3rd party insurance system nightmare and instead starting to try direct pay, real retail and or small annual fee like medicine to stop the maddness and all that comes with it. That said, even without being caught up in the system one still needs a financial program that was made to think and work in a Modern Medical Enviornment so either way a PM of some sort would be needed.

We were one of the early requesters many years ago who started to suggest to AC and Jon to create the opposite side, PM. Personally, IMHO YES, AC must create a viable and friendly integrated PM to remain competitve in it present market niche... Double entry and lots of other problems like X-Link and dueling software updates that crash or mess up many interfaces for those that choose to go that route are not a truly friendly or viable alternative, which again pushes more customers and therefore vendors towards the single solution PM, EMR all in one solution and its attempts.

Personally, I am very anxious to try it, see it and take it around the block a few times... But beyond that as Leslie said like all other choices in business it all "Depends".... But for AC and Jon's sake I hope it flies no matter what our personal choice is. And if it does, then heck that might be a straw on the Camel's back to finally get us to try and see how and what we can do ourselves in-house instead....

Paul

I just don't see how it is necessary to compete with other EMRs.

It isn't like AC is in the eClinicalWorks or NextGen group and has to one up them all the time.

It is clear that AC became number one in many arenas including this year's KLAS awards without having a PM. I still think AC needs to get back to its roots and have the best inexpensive EMR program. No one can compete with that.

If you asked every practice why they chose AC, there would be many reasons, but every single one would say pricing and ease of use.

If you ask all the Centricity, eMDs, and NextGen why they bought them, none would quote price, and the Centricity group would state they bought it so they could generate horrible progress notes that took seven pages to document an ear infection. I have never in all my life seen a worse progress note. But, I digress....

No
yes
yes
yes

NO
Yes
Yes
Yes

The PM module would be a tremendous time saver for our practice ( If it works!).

I have been waiting since the Summer of 2009 to see a PM.

If your system works, great. If not, AC is providing an option w/o dealing with X-link, HL7, or outsourcing.

I hope we see a Beta soon?

I agree with Jon in Baltimore - we also use an outside billing service. I get tired of them hyping their own ehr, but that's a minor annoyance. We get paid in a timely manner and it's working well.

We would consider doing the billing in house, but . . . if it ain't broke and all that.

I also agree that a working PM module is important for attracting new physician users. In my area, I know of two doctors that decided against AC because there is no PM.

Barb

I plan to use the PM module as soon as it it ready. I am signed up to be a beta tester. It can't come soon enough.

We can't wait for the PM module, and will be using it as soon as it is ready, (beta version or otherwise) We are a small office, and do our billing in house.
1) N/A - we don't currently have PM software - so the PM module really can't get here to quickly.
2) Yes
3) Yes
4) N/A
5) As someone who is new to AC/EMR I would have considered purchasing a different solution if I didn't know that PM software was coming.

We had no PM software but were using a really old version of Lytec to just print claims. Recently we bought TotalMD since we don't want to wait for AC's PM software. The HL7 link is ok. It's not as seamless as I had hoped. There are lots of quirks in the interface. EMR and PM in one program would be much much better. So I don't know if we'll use AC's PM module when it comes out since switching all this data around takes a long time too.

It's amazing how much activity is going on in this thread. It seems clear to me that PM is extremely important for many of the AC users out there. Hopefully AC brings it out soon and in solid working order. Way to go AC team!

Clair, I am very glad to hear that the system will have a check-in process. This is badly needed. On the new system, when the copay is collected for that visit and "logged", will it automatically be transferred to the superbill? The idea is that the doctor doesnt have to go back and forth looking for the copay to put in on the superbill when she is completing it. Please say "yes we thought of that!"

Hi Wayne,

Yes we thought of that. We also working on allowing cpts to be added during the encounter. This will allow cpts to be added as they are done and not all at the end. Hopefully this will keep items from being missed at the end.

Claire

Claire,
When When When??? I was ranting and raving how wonderful AC is last night at a medical society meeting with other docs and had to say the only downside was AC not having a PM module. This is really an issue and hope we are not slipping into 2nd quarter this year since we have already had 2 years of delays over this MU stuff, etc...
Jack

Based on Jon B's latest "status update", it looks like he is still sticking to his promised schedule....with just a touch of wiggle room. Sounds like they are still on track.

I currently don't have a PM. I just output to office ally. my questions are about V7

1) Can you turn off MU?
2) Will it work with office ally for free?
3) Can you tell it what to put in CMS1500 box 32 and 33 separately b/c the way it pulls from the practice info right now isn't working for me at all when it exports to office ally. I have to put a bum code in, let it get rejected, and then manually fix it online in office ally. blah!
4) Can you put the same CPT code on different sequential lines? Right now you can only put it once and then change the # of units. Well Anthem doesn't like that. So when I do 10 injections and only get paid for one because Anthem pays by the line and not by the unit, that ticks me off. Only getting 100 dollars instead of like 500 is big!

1. Hopefully

All the others are rather specific questions that I don't think we'll know until it's out.

Scott, Bert and I use Emedware by Sage.
I'm using it for scheduling and the complete billing solution. We have in-house billers, are you employing a biller or doing this yourself?

It would make sense to purchase a PM solution if you are giving away this type of legitimate revenue generating capacity. The current super-bill preparation you are getting from AC is obviously not adequate to meet your needs.

I'm not advertising for Sage by saying this, simply want to share some basics. Emedware is affordable, subscription includes the clearinghouse fee for less than $150 per month. And Emedware lets my biller manipulate the 1500 form anyway that is required to get a clean claim, without limitation to the number of procedures per claim.

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes from Alaska - as soon as possible please..................... current MDRhythm user :((

John Nolte
Hillside Family Medicine
Anchorage, AK

no
yes
yes
yes

As of right now my volume is so low (only 5-10 patients/week) that I just do the billing myself. Takes me about an hour a week on average. Right now AC sort of meets my needs, but I have to do a few work arounds and fix the issues on the backend. If you take the amount of time it would take me to do double entry into a seperate PM it would probably be about the same amount of time. I just wish I could manipulate things in AC and have it export properly.

That sounds very challenging and rather frustrating.

I have a billing company that is doing a great job. But I would try the PM to see how easy it is to use.