Chiropractic Documentation | The Strategic Chiropractor

What Chiropractic Errors Are Costing You: 2011 Update

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on May 17th, 2011

Topics: Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic coding, chiropractic documentation, Medicare

Some of you may get tired of hearing how dangerous errors in your chiropractic billing, coding or documentation practices may be. I certainly have sat through more than my fair share of seminars where it appeared that the main motive of the speaker was to scare you straight. Furthermore, from the data extracted from most chiropractic reviews done by Medicare and other payers, we have ample evidence that we should be more than a bit worried.

Since I am a bottom line fanatic, let’s look at this from another angle: what could chiropractic billing, coding or documentation errors cost you? Obviously, the flip side of this question is, if you do it right, how can sound strategies in this regard help you improve your business? Read More

Why Some Chiropractors Chase $44,000 Only to Lose $544,000 or More

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on May 3rd, 2011

Topics: chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic EHR, chiropractic EMR

One of the most common questions that I get around here is on EMR. Everyone wants to know what’s the best EMR system to use or when is a good time to implement EMR or how to implement EMR. You get the idea.

Those of you who have read or heard my thoughts on EMR know that I dance all around this issue constantly. It’s not that I think EMR is a bad idea. On the contrary, most of my clients utilize EMR in their practice. It helps them improve their documentation, compliance and practice management.

Notice I said, most — not all. Read More

Chiropractic Documentation Date Dangers to Avoid

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on March 31st, 2011

Topics: Audits, Business, Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic business, chiropractic documentation

Recently I received an email from an auditing group to which I belong that offered some nasty little tips that auditors can use to easily recoup money from physicians, including chiropractors.

First, let me pause and clarify one point. Although I do have a certification as a professional medical auditor (and as of this writing am the first and only chiropractor to do so), I do not use this to audit chiropractors. In fact, I received this training so that I can more fully understand what auditors are looking for and to protect YOU. Today’s blog post is a perfect opportunity to use this. Read More

Maximize Your Chiropractic Income, Minimize Audit Risk WEBINAR!

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on February 18th, 2011

Topics: Audits, Billing, Business, Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic coding, chiropractic collections, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic practice management, chiropractic webinars, Coding, Collections, compliance, Documentation, Medicare, webinars

By request, we have taken our popular seminar and brought it into your home/office via WEBINAR! Read More

Chiropractic Seminar Freebies You Missed! And Your Chance to Profit From Them…

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on February 10th, 2011

Topics: Audits, Billing, Business, Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic coding, chiropractic collections, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic practice management, Chiropractic Seminars, chiropractic webinars, Coding, Collections, compliance, Documentation, Medicare, seminars, webinars

For those of you who did NOT attend my recent seminars in the Northwest, here are a few items you missed!

For those of you who attended, as promised, here are the specific references and places to go for the information that was not included in your notepacket.

Tom

P.S. If you did NOT attend my recent seminar, be sure to read the bottom of this post for a Special Offer!!

P.S.S. Seminar attendees — I used this picture above to stimulate your memory to…stop giving it all away! Read More

Medicare Releases 4th Quarter Chiropractic Medical Review Findings

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on January 31st, 2011

Topics: Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic coding, chiropractic documentation, Documentation, Medicare

Medicare carrier Palmetto GBA released their 4th Quarter (2010) Medical Review Findings which details the deficiencies they have been noting in terms of billing, coding or documentation errors. These findings are not exclusive to chiropractors. In fact, since chiropractors are only paid for one service in Medicare, we probably should not even make this list. But we did (again). Read More

Replay of Toughest Chiropractic Billing, Coding, Documentation & Collections Questions EVER!

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on December 10th, 2010

Topics: Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic coding, chiropractic collections, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic webinars

SORRY, THIS REPLAY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!

We exceeded capacity of our host for our 3rd Annual webinar, “The Toughest Chiropractic Billing,Coding, Documentation, Collections Questions Ever!” This “maxed out” webinar features Dr. Tom Necela answering questions “live” from chiropractors around the country on a variety of billing, coding, documentation, collections issues!

While we certainly are happy that so many doctors wanted to attend, we want to make this information available to all those who registered and were not able to get to the presentation, so we are making a replay of the broadcast available for a limited time only.

(Click above to listen and watch this 1 hr presentation)

Tom

P.S. This replay will only be available until Dec 31, 2010, so listen while it’s here
and tell your friends before it’s gone!

“The Toughest Chiropractic Billing, Coding, Documentation Questions Ever!” FREE Webinar!

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on December 1st, 2010

Topics: Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic coding, chiropractic collections, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic EHR, chiropractic EMR, chiropractic practice management, Chiropractic Seminars, chiropractic webinars

It’s time for the 3rd annual installment of “The Toughest Billing, Coding, Documentation and Collections Questions Ever!”

In this FREE webinar you will have a chance to get your most frustrating or confusing questions answered by Dr. Tom Necela – chiropractor, certified professional coder, certified professional medical auditor and certified compliance professional. Read More

How to Interpret Your Chiropractic Comparative Billing Report

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on November 2nd, 2010

Topics: Audits, Billing, Business, Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic business, chiropractic documentation, compliance, Documentation, Medicare

This past week or so, 5000 chiropractors nationwide received a “present” in the mail in the form of a Chiropractic Comparative Billing Report (CBR). Even though I had previously reported that this would happen (see my previous post “Medicare Releases Chiropractic’s Comparative Billing Report Pilot”), my email inbox now knows what it must feel like to be a postal carrier during the holiday season.

Although, the CBR is not punitive or an audit per se, the report has certainly stirred up strong feelings in our profession and got a whole lot of people suddenly worried about their billing practices and level of audit risk.

At this point, it is not humanly possible for me to respond to all the emails that I have received on the CBR from the profession at large.

However, I will offer the following blog post to address many of the common concerns and questions I have received from chiropractors wondering what to do about their CBR. Read More

Medicare Issues Chiropractic Software and Documentation Alert

Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on September 21st, 2010

Topics: Audits, Billing, Chiropractic Audits, chiropractic billing, chiropractic documentation, chiropractic EHR, chiropractic EMR, Coding, Documentation, EHR / EMR, Medicare

Medicare carrier Noridian Administrative Services (which administers Part B claims in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) recently updated and reprinted a notice on Chiropractic Software-Generated Documentation that I think can serve to educate us as a profession.

Incidentally, although your specific carrier may not be Noridian, you should take note that most Medicare carriers generate the exact same news releases, alerts and notices each week so I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t receive a similar “reminder” from your carrier. Even if you don’t the information contained and summarized below can be crititical towards getting claims paid as well as avoiding denials and postpayment audits.

Apparently, the piece was generated because Noridian has seen an increase in the use of software-generated documentation for chiropractic services. In and of itself, there is certainly nothing wrong with using EMR or even any form of computerized notes. So what’s their beef? Read More

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