medical billing transcription supplier information

Wall Street expects us to produce a reasonable return, while Main Street appears to want us to operate at breakeven or, worse, a loss. And misinformation about what should be expected from a tax-exempt hospital is perpetuated by those whose agenda is other than a sincere interest in the plight of the uninsured.

How can hospitals maintain--or regain--the public's trust? I believe that the following key actions, which are based on work by experts in the field and best practices, are necessary:

Establish or reexamine and adjust your community benefit analysis. Community benefit relates to the broad-based concept of community service that should be included as part of the organization's mission. To survive, all organizations need to produce financial surpluses; a not-for-profit hospital must produce a surplus to further its exempt purpose, as reflected in its mission. Not-for-profit, therefore, refers to not-for-private-profit. Healthcare executives must examine and assess the community benefit they provide and be able to provide a clear rationale of how they define, quantify, and deliver that benefit.

Establish or reexamine and review charging and collecting practices for uninsured or underinsured persons of limited means Hospitals should attempt to better rationalize prices with cost and market considerations. Charity care policies should be formalized and effectively communicated to the public. Employees who implement the policies and procedures should be continually trained on them. These policies should be updated frequently to reflect the mission and financial capability of the organization.

Redefine the role of marketing and public relations to include effective and ongoing community outreach ... and communicate those efforts. Hospitals should be actively engaged in helping to solve community problems that affect health status. Immunization clinics, health screenings, and health education programs are some of the most common approaches. Other approaches include engaging community and business leaders in developing local solutions to health access issues for uninsured and underinsured persons. Hospitals should prominently disclose all the attributes of their community benefits. It is important that government officials, the media, community leaders, and the public understand all the reasons why an organization qualifies for tax-exemption. Put a human face on community benefits. Numbers are important, but they don't tell the whole story.

The ongoing public criticism of tax-exempt, not-for-profit hospitals is not because community benefits do not exist, but because of not transparently addressing these issues. I believe that tax-exempt hospitals have a special role in the healthcare delivery system. It is critical, therefore, that executives in these organizations take the necessary steps to preserve, evaluate, and communicate the unique benefits these organizations provide.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:54 AM