10 More Ways to Save Money in Your Practice

Past editions of TMA Practice E-Tips have suggested ways practices can save money and time in daily activities. Here are more tips … for TMA members only. These programs and services are free for TMA members, and can save practices thousands of dollars. 

1. If you are losing money from incorrectly processed claims, lost or delayed Medicare enrollment applications, or other payer-related problem, turn to the TMA Reimbursement Review and Resolution Service (formerly known as the Hassle Factor Log) for help getting it back. In 2013, this no-fee program recovered more than $1.3 million for TMA members.
2. Sign up for DocbookMD, a free, HIPAA-secure mobile app that allows you to safely and easily communicate with your health care team and colleagues. You can send messages bundled with photos of x-rays, EKGs, wounds, and more from Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as from Macs and PCs. The new Care Team feature enables physicians to invite their nurses, physician assistants, and other office staff to join them on DocbookMD.
3. Time is money! When you have a question, call TMA before you spin your wheels finding an answer. TMA Knowledge Center information specialists are on call during business hours at (800) 880-7955 to answer your questions about health law, practice management, medical economics, medical records, coding, technology, HIPAA, new laws, continuing medical education (CME), TMA meetings and membership, and so much more. Or, email a question to knowledge[at]texmed[dot]org.
4. Need to research a topic? Through the TMA Knowledge Center, TMA members have free access to full-text online resources  such as Access Medicine, Ebsco, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials, as well as access to TMA journal holdings through PubMed. You also can ask TMA's full-time librarian for help at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1548, or email Barbara Tims. (For a nominal fee, Ms. Tims will compile a custom bibliography for you.)
5. Get price breaks through TMA's group discount programs on things like computers, office supplies, scrubs, and endorsed vendors, which offer discounts on services like quality data reporting, credentialing, and debt collection. TMA has vetted the endorsed vendors, so you don't have to take the time to do it yourself.
6. Register free for TexMed, TMA's annual conference each May, then choose from among more than 80 hours of free CME, on an array of topics, that you can take at the conference over a couple of days. Registration for TMA's fall and winter conferences also is free, and both offer free CME.
7. If you are shopping for an electronic health record (EHR), start with TMA's EHR vendor comparison tool. Its side-by-side comparison of five top EHR vendors regarding important product features will set you on your way to a making a good decision for your practice. And be sure to consult TMA's EHR Implementation Guide, third edition. Sponsored by The Physicians Foundation, this guide is free to download; you pay only a low processing fee to claim CME credit. If you have questions about selecting and implementing an EHR, workflow, EHR incentives, e-prescribing, or general technology questions, contact the TMA HIT Helpline at (800) 880-5720 or email hit[at]texmed[dot]org. (Or call the TMA Knowledge Center; information specialists will transfer you to the right person.)
8. Have a coding or billing question? One of TMA's certified coders can help. Members are invited to call the TMA Coding and Billing Hotline at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1414, or email a question to paymentadvocacy[at]texmed[dot]org. (Or call the TMA Knowledge Center and ask to speak to a certified coder.)
9. If you are concerned about how the new health insurance marketplace will affect your practice revenue, take advantage of full access to TMA's Affordable Care Act Resource Center. The center's members-only Q&A for Texas physicians answers members' questions about marketplace fee schedules, the grace period, and more.
10. Looking for a way to give back to your community and generate visibility for your practice? Host a TMA Hard Hats for Little Heads event to give away bicycle helmets to kids. For the first 50 helmets you purchase, TMA provides another 50 helmets at no charge. Plus, TMA provides everything you need for your event, from publicity and educational materials to media support. Or, apply for a Be Wise — Immunize^SM Local Impact Grant for $500 to $2,000 to host a shot clinic for underserved and uninsured members of your community. The grants are available for TMA member-physician practices/clinics as well as county medical societies, TMA Alliance chapters, and medical student chapters. TMA will help you make your event a success with posters, a Beatrice the Bee suit, handouts, and more.

Austin otolaryngologist Daniel Leeman, MD, figured out that he saved more than $11,500 by using his TMA member benefits. Check out the TMA ROI Calculator to put a dollar amount to the benefits and services you can use.

 Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association. 

Published July 8, 2014

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