Integrating vision plans with EHR's

[ilanh]

Our office does a lot of VSP and we enter all the data into their proprietary website. As far as I can tell the process is pretty easy. Unfortunately, we have to enter all the info all over again into our EHR so that we can keep track of patient payments, VSP reimbursements etc. We use the VSP reconciliation reports against the amounts that we post in the EHR to track everything. We list the "expected" payments from VSP as our actual charges in our EHR. In this way, once we post the payments against the charges it zero's itself out and does not remain in the AR buckets. We also account for all the patient payments so that we can easily identify balances or inform patients of the breakdown. This has proved to be very cumbersome and I'm wondering if people are doing this in an easier way. For example, can one manage all of this on the VSP website? Would it be easier to use Quickbooks for these VSP patients instead of the EHR? Looking for alternative ways to cut down on the busy work.

[Jubilee]

What EHR do you use?

We currently don't track via estimated reimbursement. We write off the line amounts at the end of the process for the "negotiated discounts." Separate line items for lab chargebacks.

To be honest, I miss being able to have my itemized insurance listing.

[DrDL]

What EHR/practice management system do you use? I do everything for free - Practice Fusion for EHR, Practice Suite (just to submit eClaims even though it is practice management software - I find it difficult to use for PM), and QuickBooks Online for my bookkeeping/PM. I don't mind double entry as I can easily print itemized receipts from my EHR for out-of-network claims and FSA/HSA payments from patients. I enter ALL patient info in my EHR and only name, DOB, and name of insurance carrier into QuickBooks - you shouldn't need to use ID#s, group#s, etc. unless you want all that info there as well. I don't ever 'bill out' to a patient ever; I make sure I verify eligibility before their appointment so my claims are never denied and I know exactly how much I am getting reimbursed. I only include DOB in case I have 2 patients with the same name. QuickBooks Online is SO EASY to use and manage all my patient accounts through that. It's very easy to apply a discount (percentage or amount), payment from insurance company, etc. once you get things set up properly. Setting it up for what I needed it to do took a little thinking but everything is easy now. Plus you can accept credit card payments and run payroll if you choose (for a fee of course). I link my business bank/credit card account and add in all my business expenses as well. The profit/loss and other reports are easy to run and you can grant your accountant access if you wish to make things even easier at the end of the year for taxes.

[drk]

Ilan, the minute you pony up for integration with the vision care plans' portals, they change the portal on you. I think you are tilting at windmills, sadly.

[samanderson]

EHR integration has become a bigger technology breakthrough than anyone would have imagined. Peoplke now are more concerned about their health than ever before. And they love it when they can get their health info ready at hand, anywhere anytime. And these wearable technology or any other health tech will need health data of patients. That is exactly where EHR becomes useful. And that is why EHR integration has become so important. All the EHR systems have started to enable a smooth ehr integration. And that is where blueEHR has taken a leap forward. They have implement Health IT as a Service (HITaaS), which provides all the components that you need to build you own health it application or anything.





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Sam Anderson
https://blueehr.com/our-services/electronic-health-records/
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