Practice News

Minimize time spent on prior authorizations

By managing patients' prior authorizations electronically, your practice can eliminate hours of hassles associated with manually obtaining prior authorization from health insurers.

A new toolkit from the AMA can guide your practice through the transition to using electronic health care transactions to obtain prior authorization electronically. By making the transition, your practice can free up time for patient services, receive faster responses from health insurers and reduce claims processing costs.

The Prior Authorization Toolkit is part of an AMA campaign that helps physicians put their practices on track to save time and money in the coming year. Designating November as "Heal that Claim"™ Month, the AMA offers resources to help physicians streamline their claims process by using electronic health care transactions.

The toolkit provides resources that can help you evaluate your practice's situation and understand the questions you should ask your billing service, clearinghouse and health insurer before making the transition. You can also watch an archived webinar presented by an industry expert to learn more about how the prior authorization electronic health care transaction is used among health insurers and other entities in the claims process.

Visit the AMA's "Heal that Claim" Month Web page to access additional toolkits and webinars on adopting electronic health care transactions. You also can join the Paperless Practice Group, an online community that provides a forum for questions and conversations about using these transactions. Physicians, practice staff, health insurers and other health care stakeholders are invited to join.

Design your practice to meet the needs of elderly patients

As the population ages with the first wave of baby boomers turning 65, a free book from the AMA can help you meet the unique needs of your aging patients in how you design your office and manage your practice.

The AMA's Geriatric Care by Design presents strategies that can help you successfully approach such challenges and opportunities as accessibility, coordination of care and office services. Case studies and lessons learned from experts in primary and specialty care provide clear insight on how to design an environment that meets your needs and those of your staff and elderly patients.

Issues discussed in the book include structural design, staffing, patient self-management and health literacy, and the role of the family caregiver.

Submit an online form by Dec. 5 to receive a free copy of the print book. You also can purchase Geriatric Care by Design in a convenient eBook version. AMA members receive a discount on this and other titles through the AMA Bookstore. If you're not a member, join today.