Medical care delivered on an outpatient basis is ambulatory care. It refers to medical conditions which do not require admission to a hospital. Physician offices are the most common sites for ambulatory care, and the most common medical investigations that are carried include X-rays, blood tests, and endoscopy. Ambulatory coding requires coders to review of patient records to identify an appropriate selection of codes which will accurately reflect the reason for admission, extent of care received, and level of severity of illness.
An ambulatory coder also needs to ensure that all data elements essential for federal and state reporting are collected and integrated in the patient's demographic record. Ambulatory coding poses new challenges every now and then, with situations that can even confuse expert coders. For example, coders are often confused whether or not they can bill a patient for a physical therapy delivered at his or her home. For Medicare beneficiaries who require skilled therapy services, the answer is yes, but with a word of caution; check with your payer's policies.
Going by the recent developments, physical therapy services will continue to be included under the Medicaid outpatient hospital benefit in states that don't have a separate benefit for physical therapy. However, states which have separate outpatient physical therapy benefit, the new rule requires the state to pay for physical therapy services provided in the outpatient hospital setting using the payment methodology defined in the separate benefit under the state Medicaid plan. A great deal of change indeed! So, to be aware of the latest developments in ambulatory coding, go for training and educational activities.
Denial rates are also not too uncommon, but if you wish to bring in the much desired reimbursement while playing it safe, do an active analysis of the coding industry. This would also ensure that all internal edit systems are up-to-date.
In our minds, hurdles can become impossibilities, when in reality they’re anything but impossible. To overcome a real estate marketing challenge, you simply have to look at it with a fresh perspective, ask the right questions, and then charge ahead.
With that in mind, here are some of the common marketing challenges I’ve heard real estate agents express over the years, as well as ways to overcome those challenges:
Challenge #1 - I don’t know anything about marketing. Every marketer approaches their first project with little or no practical experience. Practical experience comes from, well, practical experience. So in your real estate marketing endeavors, start by gaining a knowledge base through reading and research. Then build on that base through actual experimentation.
"Analysis paralysis" affects a lot of would-be marketers. This is the condition where every element of a marketing campaign is analyzed, scrutinized and conceptualized -- to the point that nothing actually gets done.
Learn as much as you can about a particular marketing channel or tactic by studying what others have done. Then get out there and do it for yourself. Sure, you’ll make mistakes. We all do. But that’s part of the learning process.
Challenge #2 - I don’t know where to start. If you’re new to the world of real estate marketing, start with the basics. First determine your goals. This will make the entire process easier. Too often, I see people define marketing goals that are overly vague. "I want to grow my business," is not a marketing goal -- it’s something we all want.
Of course you want to grow your business. But to gain any direction from this step, you have to get specific. For instance:
"I want to create an educational website with free downloads and reports, and promote the site with direct mail. Using this system, I want to capture 20 new leads per month."
Now that’s a goal -- specific, measurable and directional.
Challenge #3 - I don’t know anything about technology. Technology. The word alone scares people. But in truth, marketing technology has evolved to a point of user-friendliness that it never had before.
Today’s marketing tools -- from website creation to list management -- are more than ever, even by people with little to no technical skill.
And even when you can't find user-friendly technology to help you with a certain marketing task, you can bet there’s a vendor willing to step in.
When researching technology, break the process down into simple parts. First, refer back to your goals from Challenge #2 above. What technology can help you achieve those goals? Once you’ve answered this question, you’ll have taken an ocean of technological possibilities and narrowed them down to a channel that best applies to you.
And always remember: technology can deliver the message, but it can’t create the message. It can help you show the value of your services, but it can’t create that value in the first place. That's your job.
Challenge #4 - I don’t have time. This one is simply a matter of priorities. If your marketing is a top priority, then you can make time for it. Here’s an easy way to do just that:
Start small, with just an hour a day. Spend 15 minutes reading up on a particular marketing tactic, and 45 minutes actually practicing it. The 15 minutes of research also helps reduce Challenge #1 (not knowing anything about marketing).
Challenge #5 - I’m new to real estate. Every expert from every industry was the new guy or gal at some point. They managed, and so can you. Even if you’re new to real estate, you’re still a professional, right? You’ll find that people judge you by your personal behavior as much as your credentials.
When it comes to your marketing message, this means being knowledgeable and professional. Proper spelling, relevant information, professional design and delivery -- these factors add up, and they'll help you make a strong impression regardless of how long you've been practicing real estate.
* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.
Both Julia Rose & Brandon Cornett are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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