Self-Appraisal Quiz

If you answer “NO” to any of these questions, we can help!

Appointments

• Is the reason for each visit and the phone number of each patient entered into your appointment book?
• Does your staff know exactly how many units you require for each patient?
• Do you block out emergency time?
• Are patient’s “information” checked at the time of visit to see if they are correct?
• Do you use a “new patient information form” which specifically asks the name of the party responsible for payments?
• Do you know how many patients you saw in the office last month?
• Do you know how many patients you saw last year?
• Do you know how many new patients you saw last month?
• Do you know how many new patients you saw last year?
• Are your referral letters current?
• Do you have a stock letter for dismissing undesirable patients from your practice?

Fee Schedules

• Are you currently using RVUs for all commonly performed procedures?
• Do you automatically review your fee each year?
• Are fee schedules available at your receptionist’s desk and at the insurance department?
• Are all services defined on your charge slip?

Billing

• Does each patient receive a charge slip at the time of treatment with instructions to take it to your collections/billing clerk?
• Are your statements itemized so that patients can understand them?
• Do you print your statements in-house?
• Are you billing on a weekly basis?
• Are you using the most current version of your billing software?
• Are your staff bonded?
• Can your employees effectively handle all billing complaints?

Collections

• Do you have a written collections policy?
• Do you have a office policy brochure that explains your payment requirements and, among other things, when you are in the office, what to do in an emergency, and how insurance reimbursements are handled?
• Are your collection procedures rigidly followed?
• Are Co-Pays collected at the time of visit?
• Does your receptionist know the outstanding balance of every patient coming in each day?
• Does your staff in a tactful and courteous way ask for payment before the patient leaves your office?
• Do you have a sign in your office that says “All fees are expected to be paid at the time of visit” ?
• Do you know how much money is collected at the time of visit and how much is mailed in?
• Does your billing system have a method of tagging over due accounts?
• Do you use a telephone reminder system in your collection policy?
• Do you have a policy for patients who say “I’m having trouble paying the bill”?
• Do you use a collection agency or attorney for accounts past 90 days?

Third Party Payers

• Are you more than three days behind in the processing of insurance forms?
• Are you using the most up-to-date ICD-9 & CPT codes?
• Do you keep an insurance log detailing co-pays, fee schedules and non-covered services for each insurance plan?
• Do you follow-up on every insurance claim that is not timely paid?
• Do you review your insurance contracts every year?

Practice Income

• If you are a group practice are you incorporated?
• Do you project your production for the next 12 months at least twice a year?
• Do you know what your accounts receivable amount is at the end of each month?
• Do you get a monthly aging of accounts?
• Do you actually review this aging when you receive it?
• Do you know the definition of collection ratio or collection percentage?
• At the close of each month, are you given the collection percentage for the last month?
• Do you know what you collection percentage was for each of the last 12 months?
• Is your net collection percentage over 90%?
• Do you balance your daily receipts at the end of every day with the daily deposits?
• Do you know the amount of monthly adjustments being made for each third party payer?

Patient Records

• Do you use an EMR system (Electronic Medical Records)?
• Is your system HIPAA Compliant?
• Do you have a written HIPAA compliant policy?
• If you use lateral files, are your file folders tabbed in the front?
• Are the files color-coded alphabetically?
• Have you cleaned out your patient files within the last two years?

Employees

• Do you have a personnel policy manual that contains complete job descriptions?
• Do you have staff meetings at least once a month?
• Do you review all staff salaries at least once a year?
• Do your employees get written evaluation reports that are discussed with them during annual review?
• Before hiring new employees, do you call previous employers for references?
• Do you provide benefits to your staff (health,life, retirement,etc)?
• Does each employee get a written breakdown annually of all benefits including retirement, vacations, sick leave, social security allocations, etc.?
• Do you use an outside payroll service?
• Do you keep an accurate daily record of all employee absences and lateness?

Office Procedures

• Do you know what your overhead percentage has been for the last 12 months?
• Do you know your overhead percentage for your office space?
• Do you know your overhead percentage for Medical Supplies, Lab fees, Malpractice insurance, Staff salaries, etc.?
• Do you know how your overhead percentage compares with that of other practices within your specialty?
• Do you get a monthly profit and loss statement from your accountant?
• Do you carefully review each item on your profit and loss statement at least once a year?
• Do you use a check writing software system?
• Do you have complete faith in your accountant?
• Do you ever spot-check and test-audit for possible embezzlement?
• Do you keep a log on supply needs?
• Do you comparison shop for supplies and equipment?

Compliance

• Is your OSHA manual up-to-date?
• Is your MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) up-to-date?
• Have all “new” employees received OSHA & HIPAA training?
• Do you conduct OSHA training for all staff every year?
• Has your staff been HIPAA trained?
• Is your computer system secure under HIPAA regulations?
• Do you have a billing compliance manual?
• Is it being used?