The Progress Of Electronic Medical Billing In WC

Madison, WI - Medical billing in workers’ compensation still seems to be out of step with the rest of the medical reporting community. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) laid the foundation for much needed efficiency in medical billing and payments for general health insurance. The HIPAA administrative rules mandated that all payers use a common electronic bill and acknowledgement. It also standardized codes to describe medical bills and required provider identification numbers. Workers compensation has yet to be freed from the strangle hold of paper claims, and the errors and delays they entail.

In 2008, Texas pioneered an electronic medical billing systems designed to liberate workers’ compensation from paper to capture efficiencies enjoyed by general health insurance. During this time, California and Minnesota also implemented medical e-billing initiatives. With the ever present interest in reducing medical costs, many workers’ compensation administrative agencies are interested in exploring the efficiencies that can be gained by utilizing electronic medical billing. 

On Tuesday, April 20, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee, the IAIABC will host E-billing in Workers’ Compensation: What Have We Learned? What’s on the Horizon? in conjunction with the All Committee Conference. Attendees will appreciate frank discussion from state regulatory authorities, medical providers, workers’ compensation payers, and technical specialists about the challenges, barriers, and keys to successful e-billing implementation.  
E-billing in Workers’ Compensation: What Have We Learned? What’s on the Horizon? is a follow-up event to Electronic Medical Billing in Workers’ Compensation hosted in April 2008. Featuring a similar format, the initial seminar resulted in clear consensus about two problems that had to be overcome for e-billing to realize its full potential. Firstly, there must be greater cooperation among vendors in transferring e-bills to the intended recipients. Secondly, a solution must be found for moving all electronic attachments from provider to payer. Hear about the progress in resolving these two issues, including the development of an e-billing model law, during E-billing in Workers’ Compensation: What Have We Learned? What’s on the Horizon? 

Attending this IAIABC seminar will provide an opportunity to gain important insight into electronic medical billing and learn how it might change the way your organization does business in the future. 

Source - International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions