The OneHealthPort Newsletter is published quarterly. Look for periodic "OneHealthPort Update" emails for timely information between issues. Please send your comments or any story ideas to newsletter@onehealthport.com.
NEWS
FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS
SPOTLIGHT ON SECURITY
PARTNER SERVICES
RESOURCES
OneHealthPort Subscribers Top 12,000!
Tell us your story and go to the movies
OneHealthPort's 12,450 subscribers represent more than 5,120 organizations and include (in order): office workers, billing specialists, referral coordinators, office managers, other service providers, licensed practitioners, medical assistants and licensed nurses.
Because our goal is to make your work easier, OneHealthPort is creating a new feature—Time Saving Tips from OneHealthPort Subscribers. Share some of your workplace solutions, and if we feature your comments in the next newsletter, we'll give you four movie passes to a major theater chain. Ideas might include:
- Quickest way to handle refills
- Fastest method to get claims paid
- How to manage rescheduling issues
- How using OneHealthPort streamlines your workday
Please submit your ideas before June 1. Thank you and enjoy the show!
Discount on Custom Coding Books Available Through OneHealthPort
Custom Coding Books, which provides healthcare professionals
print and electronic coding books and software, is now
available to OneHealthPort subscribers at a 12.5% off
already discounted pricing. On their website (www.customcodingbooks.com).
Custom Coding Books offers both traditional bound books
and CDs, as well as customizable, on-demand access of
popular coding books in electronic form.
With Custom Coding Books' signature Custom Coder™ product line, healthcare professionals go online and walk through a simple online process to choose the codes and coding information they need to create a custom book based on their specialty and geographical location. Custom Coder™ books can be purchased online and immediately downloaded to a PDF file to print and/or view from any computer and/or PDA. Quarterly updates are sent when rules and regulation changes affect the information in the book.
OneHealthPort will provide a direct link to Custom Coding Books in late April.
However, you can change now to immediately receive OneHealthPort's
special discount of 12.5% off already discounted pricing
by using Promotional Code OHP. For more information
about Custom Coding Books, call 877-652-9093 or visit
www.customcodingbooks.com.
Important Information for Administrators
As an OneHealthPort administrator, you make an important contribution to your organization's ability to effectively use OneHealthPort. Special thanks to the 3,838 administrators who manage and update their OneHealthPort account, nominate subscribers, assist with forgotten passwords, and make tax ID and employment changes.
If you are the OneHealthPort administrator for your organization, please take a few minutes to review the following information.
- If you have questions, please check and review the Administrator's guide that is posted in the "Manage my administrator's account" area. Many issues are covered in detail, with instructions and screen shots. Go to www.onehealthport.com/use_ohp/accounts.php to login and download the guide.
- Administrators are responsible for assisting with registrations and password issues for their nominated subscribers. Forgotten passwords and activation codes can be handled by using the "Reset Subscriber Password" function in the "Manage Subscriber" area of the Administrator's account.
- Each organization should have at least two active administrators at all times. If you are on vacation, ill or unavailable, it's important to have a back-up administrator. Use the "add Administrator" function on the Administration main menu
OneHealthPort's technology partner, Cybertrust, provides technical support for OneHealthPort. You can contact the help desk by emailing onehealthport@cybertrust.com, by filling out this online form or by calling 1-866-292-8939 (toll free).
Survey Results: How Does Your Office Technology Compare to Other Practices?
Check out the results of OneHealthPort's January survey on office technology to see how your practice setting compares with others in this non-scientific sample.
The following is a summary of what we learned about technology in our communities. Of the 80 respondents:
- 76% have been with OneHealthPort for more than six months
- 35% represented practices with three or fewer providers
- 30 % were from practices with 4-12 providers
- 15% represented practices with more than 12 providers
- 19% represent hospitals, home health and billing services
Survey results:
- Operation systems: 75% of the responders have one or more PCs on a network, with 50% using Windows XP operating systems, 15% using Win2000, 11% using Win98 and 8% using Citrix.
- Technology Support: 36% of technology support is with an IT department and 11% have a full or part-time technical staff; 30% contract with an external technical support service; 19% hire technical help as needed.
- Email: 73% use email for internal and external communications; 13% use email inside the practice but not for external messages; 3% do not use email at all.
- Email servers: 30% run their own email server and 30% use an outside
server with their own domain name.
- Information received electronically: 50% receive radiology reports; 48% receive lab results; 40% receive ADT information; 31% perform discharge and dictation from facilities; 35% receive clinical notes from other practices; 30% receive none of these electronically.
- Information shared electronically: 88% submit claims electronically; 28% submit referrals; 10% submit claims attachments; 28% share lab results; 25% share radiology reports; 18% share electronic transcription; 8% participate in a registry.
- Electronic Medical Records (EMR): 10% use a full EMR; 15% use a partial EMR.
- Website: 56% have a website with office hours and general information; 6% offer a website with basic scheduling requests.
- Patient communications: 65% have voice mail for patients; 39% accept email based on guidelines.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the online survey and congratulations to winners of the raffle: Kelly Quaschnick of Physical Therapy North in Spokane won the 3DGrid HIPAA Compliance Suite; Jessica Reik from Island Hospital in Anacortes received an Amazon.com gift card; and Monica Wilson, Skagit Valley Hospital in Mt. Vernon, won a Nordstrom's gift certificate.
Register for OneHealthPort's FREE Online Training Webcasts
Take advantage of our on-going series of webcasts designed to help you get the most out of OneHealthPort and OneHealthPort’s participating sites.
It's easy to participate—all you need is a computer with an Internet browser and a telephone line (click here for specific system requirements). OneHealthPort will give you a toll-free number, a website address and a password to enter the webcast. These are "live" events, so you can ask questions of the presenters.
Space at each of these "live" lunchtime seminars is limited, so register now to reserve your spot! You will receive a confirmation and then an e-mail reminder the day before the webcast.
How to Navigate Online Claims and Eligibility
Applications for Participating Healthcare Sites
| Wednesday, May 11 |
noon - 1:00 p.m. |
Staff from Regence BlueShield, GroupHealth Cooperative, Premera Blue Cross, First Choice Health and Uniform Medical Plan will show you how to easily navigate each of their website’s online claim status and eligibility applications. You’ll receive shortcuts to eliminate duplications and speed up payment; find out how to streamline eligibility searches; and get navigation tips to improve workflow.
Introduction to ChartConnect MedManager and ChartConnect ResultManager
| Thursday, April 21 |
noon - 1:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, May 24 |
noon - 1:00 p.m. |
What if your practice could quickly and easily prescribe and refill prescriptions online? What if you could have access to laboratory and radiology results online? Find out about these fee-based services and how they can be used in your office, clinic or hospital. Join Greg Jewell from ChartConnect, who will explain these services and answer questions. No obligation—this is strictly informational!
Introduction to Office Ally and Electronic Claims Submission
| Thursday, April 28 |
noon - 1:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 18 |
noon - 1:00 p.m. |
Group Health Adds Functionality to Web Site
Save time and hassle when making Group Health referrals
by taking advantage of website improvements at MyGroupHealth
for Contracted Providers at www.ghc.org.
The latest enhancements for Group Health referrals include:
- New referral request options - Request referrals to specialists and facilities, and for durable medical equipment.
- Referral extension - Referring providers can make a request to add visits to a previously authorized referral.
- Procedure notification - If the scope of an original referral authorization included "surgery if indicated," specialists can notify Group Health of the procedure they will be performing.
- Auto authorization - Make an online referral that meets criteria and Group Health will automatically approve the request.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding www.ghc.org,
please contact your Provider Services consultant, or
e-mail provider.services@ghc.org.
Launch
of Regence Online Services for Members
Regence BlueShield's Regence Online Services for
Members not only gives members valuable information
but also reduces their dependency on providers. This
new service allows members to access their personal
claim and eligibility information using a Web-based
interface. The member version is very similar to Regence
Online Services for providers and allows members to
do the following:
- Check eligibility information
- Search for claims
- View detailed claim information
- View all claims dating back 18 months
- Track claims that have been processed and view their current status
- Sort claims by different criteria such as status or date of service
- Check referral status
Each family member over the age of 13 can have their own account, and once registered they have full access to all their personal information. Members can take a tour of Regence Online Services for Members at www.wa.regence.com/member.
Launch of Asuris Online Services
for Members
Asuris Northwest Health launched its first release of
Asuris Online Services for Members last October. This
new service gives members the ability to access their
personal claim and eligibility information using a Web-based
interface and is similar to Asuris Online Services for
providers. It allows members to do the following:
- Check eligibility information
- Search for claims
- View detailed claim information
- View all claims dating back 18 months
- Track claims that have been processed and view their current status
- Sort claims by different criteria such as status or date of service
- Check referral status
Each family member over the age of 13 can have their own account, and once registered they have full access to all their personal information. Members can take a tour of Asuris Online Services for Members at www.asuris.com.
Premera Blue Cross: New Programs and Online Features
Changes in Premera's Online Benefits Information
In order to streamline and update online benefits information, Premera removed information that was confusing. In the meantime, if you can't find specific patient benefits, please call customer service at the number listed on the back of a member's ID card. When new information is available, it will include new features and provide a final listing of benefits that is more efficient and useful.
Premera Service Teams PDF Now Available
Don't know who to call at Premera Blue Cross? It's now
easy to find out where to get answers! Premera's new
"Services Teams" page not only lists contact information
for Operations Teams and Health Care Delivery Systems
but also provides information about who and when to
call. Next time you need information about a PNA, PNE
or PNR, just check this listing. To get to Premera's
Service Team PDF, go to www.premera.com
then:
1. Click into the "Provider" portal
2. Click "Reference Info" in the Library section
3. Click "Service Teams"
Premera Introduces Therapeutic Alternative Program
Premera's new Therapeutic Alternative Program is a voluntary program designed to promote cost-effective generic drug use and minimize pharmacy expenses for members.
As part of the Therapeutic Alternative Program, Premera's members and their health-care providers can replace their current brand name prescription with a generic alternative medication (only with provider’s approval), which can potentially reduce the cost for members with each refill.
When members participate in the Therapeutic Alternative Program, Premera will waive co-pays for the first 90-day supply of the generic alternative (three prescriptions at retail or one prescription at mail order).
This is how the program works:
- Premera will send members one informational letter per qualifying class of drug
- The member and his or her provider should discuss substituting the brand-name drug with the suggested generic. If a generic alternative is appropriate for the member, the provider will write a new prescription for the generic alternative. Please note that since this is a voluntary program, the member or the provider may choose not to participate in the program if the generic is not appropriate.
- If a member chooses to fill the prescription at one of Premera's network pharmacies, the co-pay(s) will be waived automatically.
To learn more about the Therapeutic Alternative Program, call 1-888-261-1756
and select option 2; or check information online by
going to www.premera.com
then:
1. Click into the "Provider" portal
2. Click "Pharmacy Services" in the Library section
3. Click on the tab labeled Pharmacy Programs
4. Click on "Therapeutic Alternatives"
LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon
It is now possible to check eligibility for members on other PPO plans in addition to Latitude plans. To check eligibility for members on other PPO plans, use your OneHealthPort password to access LifeWise, then:
1. Click into the "Provider" portal
2. Click "Eligibility & Benefits" in the Tools section
3. Click the "Other PPO Plans" section
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
The following information is from a white paper recently
published by Cybertrust, a global leader in information
security services which helps manage OneHealthPort's
security services. To access the entire white paper,
which was written by Marne Gordon, Cybertrust's director
of regulatory affairs, click here.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission received approximately 215,000 consumer complaints regarding ID theft. Identity theft can destroy a consumer's credit rating and require hours of paperwork and legal assistance to restore the victim's "good name."
There are three major categories of ID theft:
- "True name" fraud occurs when the criminal uses personal information to open a new account or establish benefits; in this case, the name and social security number are legitimate but the goods, services or benefits are directed towards an alternative address
- "Account take over" occurs when the criminal gains access to an existing, legitimate account and transfer funds to an alternate account
- "Criminal" ID theft involves a thief assuming an alternate identity to avoid prosecution
Although consumers are becoming more conscious of fraudulent activity, particularly in the online community, warnings are often aimed at the wrong target. Although consumers are ultimately responsible for protecting themselves and their information, they lose direct control over that information at precisely the point that it becomes an attractive target for thieves.
Just as it is more profitable for a thief to rob a bank or a store rather than sealing wallets one-by-one, it is far more profitable and less precarious for cyber thieves to access databases that store thousands of consumer records than it is for them to employ the more traditional methods of stealing mail, "dumpster diving," or pretext phone calling.
During a legitimate online transaction, consumers basically hand direct control of their data to a merchant, a subscription service or a government agency. When it has been completed, the consumer's personal information becomes a data file, residing in the online organizations network. The consumer is now completely dependent on the organization to effectively maintain the security and confidentiality of that data.
Two common methods of ID theft include "skimming " and stealing Social Security Numbers:
- In "skimming," a criminal buys off waiters at restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Using a device the size of a credit card, the waiter runs a customer's credit card through a "skimmer" which stores information from the magnetic strip. Waiters can gather as many as 50-100 credit cards a night and often get a $50-per-card incentive.
- Stealing Social Security card numbers is the simplest and most lucrative means of attack. Employees in any type of organization with access to consumer Social Security information can use it or sell it to criminals. Having a Social Security number makes it possible for criminals to set up dummy bank account and savings accounts, which also prompts the bnk to give the criminal a credit card.
These nightmare scenarios can take years for an individual to resolve. Debt
associated with ID theft can run into hundreds of thousands
of dollars, often destroying the person's credit rating
and requiring hours of paperwork and legal assistance
to restore a victim's "good name." For more information,
check out the Federal Trade Commission's Web site devoted
to dealing with ID theft and abuse at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
OneHealthPort encourages subscribers to review their safe handling of patient Social Security numbers and any databases your practice setting may have that store identity information.
Will You Miss HIPAA's April 21 Compliancy Deadline?
3DGrid's HIPAA Security Crash Course Can Get you on Track
3DGrid Healthcare Solutions is offering a free online workshop, HIPAA Security Crash Course, to help practices who will not meet the April 21 HIPAA compliance deadline. Presented as a webcast, the workshop will focus on the things you can do to make progress toward compliance quickly.
"Nothing automatically happens if a practice misses the April 21 deadline; however, fines and penalties are retroactive back to this deadline if they're imposed," explains Tobin Arthur, CEO of 3DGrid, a Seattle-based software firm that provides comprehensive, cost-effective solutions for small and medium sized practices.
If you haven't started the process you may need professional
help and specific documentation about the reasons for
your late start and your plans to complete compliance
as quickly as possible. Tobin explains, "For most practices
it takes 20 to 25 hours using HIPAA Checkup, and most
practices spread that over two to six months, depending
on their workflow. However, without using HIPAA Checkup,
practices should plan to spend 80 to 200 hours."
HIPAA Checkup is an automated software program that walks your practice through the HIPAA compliance process step by step. It includes all of the required and essential HIPAA documentation and provides your practice with exclusive tools, tips and guides that make HIPAA Checkup the easiest path to HIPAA compliance.
To register for the workshop or to get more information, go to www.3dgrid.com/onehealthport-webinars.htm.
Office Ally Offers Paper Submitters
FREE Electronic Claims Submissions
Small practices that currently submit paper claims and do not have a billing system in place can now take advantage of FREE electronic submissions through Office Ally. OneHealthPort has partnered with Office Ally to provide an easy-to-use online tool that:
- Requires no added software
- Stores provider, patient and billing information in one place
- Gives you the status of ALL your claims with multiple payers
This service is totally free to providers who currently submit paper claims and will save you time and speed up payments. It's easy to register for Office Ally through OneHealthPort and immediately start submitting electronic claims to over 500 health plans, including First Choice Health, Premera Blue Cross, Group Health Cooperative*, Regence BlueShield**, and Asuris Northwest Health**.
To set up an account, just go to www.onehealthport.com and click on the Office Ally link. If you'd like more information on how Office Ally can help your practice, please join us for a free one-hour webcast at noon on Thursday, April 28 or Wednesday, May18. Register at www.onehealthport.com/webcasts/events.php.
*All Group Health products, including Options, Alliant, Group Health Medicare and Medicaid, can be billed electronically to Group Health cooperative.
**FEP and TriWest can be electronically billed to Regence BlueShield.
*** TriWest can be billed to Asuris Northwest.
2005 Administrative Simplification Workshops: "Navigating the Future"
Sign up now for this year's free Administrative Simplification Workshops being offered in April through June at different locations throughout Washington.
The focus of this year's workshops are "getting electronic" and charting a new course for future Administrative Simplification projects. Topics will include access to health plans via OneHealthPort plus new tools to save time and speed payment, including electronic claims submissions for paper submitters. Breakout workgroups will give participants an opportunity to provide input about future projects and priorities.
"Four years ago, we asked providers how the health plans could better meet their needs, and then we spent the next few years implementing many of those ideas. Now, it's time again to find out what other changes providers would like to see," said Jim Fitzpatrick, facilitator for the administrative simplification effort.
Go to www.wahealthcareforum.org/registration/eventreg.asp
for details and to register for an Administration Simplification
Workshop in:
- Mount Vernon, April 26
- Spokane, May 11
- Renton, May 4
- Pasco, May 19
- Bellevue, May 26
- Seattle, May 3
- Olympia, June 2
First-time attendees are especially welcome and invited to arrive 30 minutes early for a general overview of Admin Simp and an opportunity to meet health plan representatives. Last year, over 800 people attended the half-day workshops, which are sponsored by the Washington Healthcare Forum, a statewide coalition of medical and hospital associations; health plans; physician networks; physicians; hospitals; and purchasers who joined together to improve the healthcare system. The Forum's collaboratively developed Simplification Guidelines focus on claims processing, referrals and prospective review, and practitioner credentialing.
Questions? Call 206 901-6295 or visit the Washington Healthcare Forum's website
at www.wahealthcareforum.org.
Link to Current Information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through OneHealthPort
Approximately 83 million beneficiaries—that's more than
1 on 4 Americans—receive health care coverage through
Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP). Get the latest information about these
programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Click here
to see the current issue of The PULSE of CMS or go to
www.cms.hhs.gov
for in-depth information.
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