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Are COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Covered by Medicare?

Are COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Covered by Medicare?

The delta variant of COVID-19 has raised a global alarm and is sweeping across nations. Government and healthcare workers are fighting tooth and nail to ensure a faster immunization drive to COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters.

While many are receiving their 1st or 2nd vaccine dose, the CMS has also announced that the Medicare would cover the administrative costs of the additional/booster dose. This news is quite encouraging for Americans including the healthcare industry and revenue cycle management service providers.

A study published in the journal ‘Nature’ found that the new variant readily invades the immune response of humans achieved through previous infections or vaccine. Despite these findings, high vaccination effectiveness is not overlooked, as vaccinated people have lower hospitalization and death rates than unvaccinated people.

US Food and Drug Administration, on 12th Aug 2021, recommended an additional shot of the vaccine for moderate to severely immunocompromised individuals. Additionally pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer are also suggesting booster shots 8 months after the second dose (this is subject to US FDA and CDC’s advisory committee).

Immunocompromised individuals have a debilitated immune system making them more susceptible to getting infected with the coronavirus. Currently CDC recommends the additional shot to the following people:

Ones Receiving Active Cancer Treatment

Those Who Have Received An Organ Transplant And Are On Immune Suppressant Drugs

Patients Who Have Received A Stem Cell Transplant In The Last 2 Years And Are Taking Immunosuppressants

Patients With Advanced Or Untreated HIV

Individuals With Moderate To Severe Primary Immunodeficiency Like DiGeorge Syndrome

Patients Undergoing Treatment With High Dose Corticosteroids Or Another Immunosuppressive Drug

Important Notes for Healthcare Providers & Revenue Cycle Management Companies

Base on the latest CMS guidelines, the cost of administering the booster or additional dose of vaccine will not be borne by the patient, rather it will be cover by Medicare. So, providers must bill accordingly.

For Those Who Have Received Vaccine Shots Of Pfizer Or Moderna, A Third Dose Should Be Of The Same Vaccine.

Any Person Should Not Be Give More Than 3 MRNA Vaccine Doses.

In The Event Of Same Vaccine Product Being Unavailable, Either MRNA Vaccine Can Be Give To The Individual.

The National Average Payment Rate For Administration Of Additional Or Booster Vaccine Dose Is Same As The 1st Or 2nd Dose. It Is Approximately $40.

It Is Essential To Know That CMS Adjusts The Administration Fee Geographically Base On Where The Dose Is Administer.

Certain Medicare Patients Who Are Unable To Leave Their Homes May Be Charge An Additional $35 Per Dosage For In-Home Vaccine Administration. This Will Be In Addition To Standard $40 Administration Fee Making It A Total Of $75.

While Providers Can Seek Reimbursement From Medicare And Payors, They Should Not Bill Individuals To Cover Costs. Failure To Comply Can Lead To Being Report To The Authorities.

The CPT codes for booster dose of vaccines in US

  Manufacturer  Vaccine Code  Administration Codes  Pfizer  91300  • 0001A (1st dose)   • 0002A (2nd dose) • 0003A (3rd dose) 

 Moderna  91301

  • 0011A (1st dose)   • 0012A (2nd dose) • 0013A (3rd dose)

The American Medical Association has release new codes that can only be use for additional doses in uncompromised patients. The US government has stated that booster shots will be make available to the general public, although formal instructions and FDA permission have yet to be acquire.

Costs are a barrier in a much-needed immunization drive and COVID-19 does not look like it is going away any time soon. Therefore, this news of additional dose coverage by Medicare is a relief for healthcare and people alike. With no out-of-pocket costs, getting a vaccine is a lot easier and simpler for Americans.

As a healthcare provider, you can keep up with faster vaccine administration and an improved revenue management cycle by outsourcing medical billing to leading companies like Astron EHS. Expert billers are well acquainted with current billing codes, as well as Payor or Medicare regulations and standards. It is always a good time to reduce your hassle. Why not start today?

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Is the .Net Framework Dead and What Does Future Hold for it?

Is.NET Extinct? | What exactly is.NET?

Is it true that.NET is no longer in use? To begin, what exactly is.NET? Microsoft’s. NET programming framework is used to construct online and mobile apps. Frameworks allow developers to call in code without having to write it themselves. .NET frameworks are commonly used to connect to online services, databases, and communication tools. I’d think it’s rather beneficial. Some have stated that the.NET framework is outdated due to the influx of new technologies coming out of Silicon Valley. On the other side, there are many.NET supporters who are optimistic about the framework’s future. We’ll discuss both sides of the debate and explain why the Bay Area continues to use it. NET.

Is.NET Dying? | Why Do Some People Think It Is?

“Why did I leave.NET?” says Jonathan Oliver, the maestro of the dev world. In a nutshell, it limited our power to select (which is a major thing for me) and focused our attention inward toward the imagined safety of the nest rather than allowing us to experience all of the options out there in the vast, wide world.”

So, is.NET doomed? NET is obviously associated with a negative connotation. It’s possible that the sigma is related to certain coders’ dislike of Microsoft in general. Many people believed that the technology had become obsolete as more open-source alternatives became accessible. Microsoft learned about this and now makes the entire server stack available as open source.

An Oldie but a Goodie

It’s hard to think that.NET is still relevant in the age of ever-changing and ever-evolving technology. It’s a bit of a tech dinosaur that’s been around for more than 15 minutes. .NET, on the other hand, is worthless if it isn’t relevant in Silicon Valley and beyond.

The entire.NET server stack is now open source, as previously stated. ASP.NET, the Dot NET compiler, the.NET Core Runtime, Framework, and Libraries are all included. This enables developers to use.NET not just on Windows but also on Mac and Linux. Apps may now be written on any OS utilizing Microsoft’s new open-source code editor, Visual Studio Code, since. resurgence NET’s in the open-source arena.

.NET is a highly scalable and powerful technology that uses Managed Code to give a high level of tolerance right out of the box. The CLR manages the assembly of your program into native executable code when it is run. This implies that the CLR gives you some assurance about how your software works, which improves its security and capacity.

Is it true that.NET is no longer in use?

Is it true that.NET is no longer in use? No. Because of its extensive functionality,.NET was (and continues to be) quite popular. Some firms have the financial resources to totally rewrite existing products in new languages, but many do not. Maintaining a framework is significantly easier and less expensive than developing a new one, as any corporation with a limited budget will tell you. Companies in the Bay Area are looking to Zibtek to sustain their core products so they may concentrate on new development. This also allows Bay Area tech businesses to implement new features without diverting senior-level personnel’s attention away from the overall business.

What is the purpose of.NET?

.Net’s future is bright. The core of the Internet

With the writing on the wall indicating that no one wanted to pay license fees to use a programming language, Microsoft changed tactics. Opensource alternatives in Python, Node, and Java defeated Microsoft in the war for domination.

Kestrel, the webserver used by ASP.Net Core, allows programmers to run an application on Linux or MAC systems just as simply as on Windows servers. The is the. The Net Core platform is also compatible with macOS, Linux, and Windows.

The majority of the software, including the C# language, has been open-sourced by the corporation. Microsoft published the first version of.Net Core in 2016, and it is on the verge of displacing legacy. Net.  Additionally, Net Core has built-in support for Angular and React JS, making web development simple, modular, and feature-rich. Using dependency injection, you may eliminate hard-coded dependencies between classes.

One last point to consider

Older versions of.Net are used in a lot of legacy applications. For many businesses, migrating to.Net Core makes more sense because the syntax is identical, making retraining current team members on the technology much easier than transitioning to a new platform. Many businesses might benefit from an ASP.Net Core conversion rather than a full rewrite of their software in terms of cost and timing.

Is the.NET Framework truly defunct?

Microsoft said in 2019 that the.NET Framework 4.8 will be the final version of the framework. The successor to.NET Core 3.0 will be named as.NET 5.0, according to the firm. In other words, the.NET Framework would be replaced by.NET Core. Dot NET 5.0 was finally released in November 2020. It does not, however, provide all of the capabilities that the.NET Framework did at the time of publication.

Microsoft’s goal with.NET 5.0 is to turn.NET and Dot NET Core into a new cross-platform foundation. There are, however, certain disadvantages. For years, developers have used ASP.NET Web Forms to create web interfaces. On.NET 5.0, it is no longer supported. You’d have to use Blazor instead. Even the conventional Windows communication foundation, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), is being phased out. As a result, you’ll have no choice but to use alternative solutions like gRPC or CoreWCF. As a result, there is no major technical debt with older programs that use the.NET Framework.

A big number of engineers throughout the world were enraged by Microsoft’s controversial action on the.NET framework. They believe there is a large gap between release and stability in the software development behemoth’s products.

On the flip side, this framework also had a few versions such as Silverlight which didn’t work up to expectations and forced us to look for other solutions.

In 2019, Microsoft announced that .NET Framework 4.8 will be the final version of the framework and declared dot NET 5.0 as the successor of .NET 3.0. Now, let’s look at the experts’ opinion on whether the .NET framework is really dead?

Feel a gap exists between release & sustainability of the Microsoft products

“In 2019, Microsoft declared that the .NET Framework 4.8 was the last among the .NET Framework. Furthermore, they announced that the .NET Core 3.0 would be referred to as .NET 5.0. Thus, .NET Core replaced .NET Framework.

It is important to note that .NET 5.0 does not support the use of ASP.NET Web Forms in building web UIs. Additionally, you cannot use Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). Instead, you have to use Blazor and other alternatives like CoreWCF, meaning there is a gap for apps built-in .NET Framework.

Developers, therefore, feel that a gap exists between the release and sustainability of the Microsoft software products.

“The .NET framework appears to be dead, for several reasons. First, its last release was in 2019, over two years ago. Second, its successor, .NET 5.0, had a rollout that was confusing and actually infuriating to web developers globally as a matter of fact. The main reason behind that is that those developers felt that there was a gap existing between its release and its stability. Developers, among others, were basically left guessing for the most part.”

“.NET is dead as a future framework for web applications and software. Microsoft won’t be building for it and they won’t support it. But software that already runs on .NET and is no longer being update will still run on it. You just may have to use an older operating system in the future to get these programs to work.

All of that said, Microsoft will replace .NET with something functionally similar. Of course, this puts the burden on developers to update their applications so that newer operating systems can run them.”

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How we will Rank Your Website on Google?

To rank your website on google we have the perfect recipe, although it takes a little time we assure you this is the definite guide

We will use five methods to increase the rank of your website

The number one driver of your search engine rankings is quality, authoritative content, and there is no alternative for outstanding content, especially when it comes to SEO marketing. Quality content that is explicitly made for you to your target audience boosts website site traffic which as a result boosts your site’s authority and relevancy. Sharpen your web writing abilities and establish yourself as an expert on the subject you’re writing about or take the help of experts like WebservX.

Keywords in your content are most important to rank your website

For each authoritative content page on your website, identify and target a single keyword phrase. Consider how your visitor may find that page using search phrases such as online masters in greenhouse development services.

How do I set up a greenhouse farm?

How much money do greenhouse farmers make?

How much does it cost to start a greenhouse farm?

How much will my greenhouse cost?

Getting a web page to rank in search engines for many keyword phrases is exceedingly difficult unless the keywords are very similar. For both “greenhouse company” and “greenhouse company,” a single page may rank. It’s improbable that a single page can rank for “greenhouse company” and “greenhouse development” or “greenhouse maintenance”

If you want your website to rank for numerous keyword phrases, you’ll need to create a different page for each term you wish to target.

By Placing keywords properly in your content

Consider the following questions once you’ve selected a keyword phrase for a certain page:

Is it possible to include part or all of the keyword phrase in the page URL (through keywords in folders)?

Is it okay if I include part or all of the keyword phrases in the title of the page?

Is it OK to utilize part or all of the keyword phrases in the page headers and subheadings?

Yes, answers to these questions can help you rank higher in search engines. However, keep it genuine and approachable. For example, you don’t want the term “greenhouse” to appear three times or the phrase “Northern Lights” to appear in the page header and every heading. Search engine optimization still loses out on readability and usability.

By high-quality Content

What has the most impact on search engine results? Content, neither the URL, title, nor headers. Repeating your keyword phrase a few times across the page—once or twice in the first and last paragraphs, then two to four more times throughout the rest of the text. Make a strong impression. Link to important sources and supplementary information strategically, both inside your organization’s main website and to other beneficial websites.

To emphasize these keyword words, use bold, italics, header tags (particularly an H1), and other emphasis tags—but don’t go overboard. Your language and writing style should always read organically & naturally. So in order to rank your website on google, you must have content of the highest quality

2. Updating Your Content Regularly for better ranking

You’ve probably noticed how passionate we are about content. Search engines are no exception. Keep in mind that constantly updated content is one of the best indicators of a site’s relevancy, so make sure it’s current. Audit your material on a regular basis (every semester, for example) and make any necessary modifications.

Blogging

Writing additional material on your departmental news blog that is rich in keyword phrases might also help you improve your search engine rankings. Even shorter updates regarding the specific themes you’re targeting can be used as blog entries. When it helps the reader get a better image or more information about the issue, interlink your related CMS webpages and blog entries.

3. Metadata

Each page on your website has a place between the tags where you may include metadata or information about the page’s contents. If you have a CMS site that was built by the UMC web team, this data will be pre-populated for you. However, as your site evolves, it’s critical that you analyze and update information.

Meta title

The page titles that appear at the top of a browser window and as the headline inside search engine results are both determined by title metadata. It’s the most crucial piece of info on your page.

Meta Description

Descriptive metadata is the textual description that a browser may use in your page search result. Consider it your website’s window display—a succinct and enticing representation of what’s inside with the purpose of getting visitors to come in. An excellent meta description usually consists of two whole phrases. Although search engines may not always use your meta description, it is critical to provide them with the choice.

Keyword Metadata

Search engine rankings are seldom, if ever, based on keyword information. However, since you should already be familiar with your keyword phrases, it isn’t necessary to provide them in your keyword information. You’ll want to use a wide range of phrases. As a general guideline, limit yourself to 3-7 sentences, each of which should have 1-4 words. “Computer science degree” is a wonderful example.

4. Having a link-worthy site – the best way to generate links without efforts

By including relevant links within the content, you may increase your authority and trustworthiness. Write Proper CTAs. “Click here” has no search engine value beyond the connected URL, however “best Greenhouse Development companies” is keyword-rich and will increase both your and the page you’re connecting to’s search engine rankings. Always utilize descriptive links by linking keywords or webpages—it not only helps your SEO, but it also helps your readers, especially those with disabilities or who use screen readers.

5. Using alt tags in images for ranking on google images

We always use alt tags, or alternative text descriptions, to explain your picture and video files. They make it possible for search engines to find your page, which is critical for folks who use text-only browsers or screen readers.

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6 Time Saver Ideas for Front Desk of a Medical Practice

6 Time Saver Ideas for Front Desk of a Medical Practice

Medical Practice whether – primary care, specialty, multi-specialty or dental, are seeing more patients today than ever before. But long queues, patient complaints, and chaos at the front desk can depict a very grim scene for the provider.

A Typical Present Day Front Desk

The number of patients seen by the front desk varies on how many physicians work in medical practice. Today, a doctor sees about 15-20 patients a day, and 30-35 if they see patients with a PA.

The front desk essentially manages the phone traffic, appointment scheduling, updating patient demographics, and collection of deductibles or copays, etc. unless some of the services are outsourced to a medical or dental billing company.

In a practice with many physicians or dentists, these tasks become a mammoth workload and ultimately affect the patient experience.

So, here are some ways to save time & improve the efficiency of your front desk.

1. Develop a Better Phone System or Outsource Appointment Calls

Here’s a front desk strategy that works wonders. Eliminate, reduce or streamline the phone traffic at the front desk!

Rather than having a prompt system for the patient to choose from, have 3-4 separate phone lines. One in case you have an in-house appointment system. Second, for the billing staff whose direct line number should be mentioned on the bill for the patient to contact in case they have questions, it helps Medical Practice.

When a client calls for medical advice after a visit, a row is available for specialists or nurses to use. And the fourth one is for the manager who handles calls from suppliers, physicians themselves, and the rest.

You can also outsource appointment calls.

The whole point is to reduce instances when calls are picked up after 10-12 rings or critical information is missed because of the rush to answer or redirect calls.

2. Pre-Register Patients

Avoid rushed and poor patient interactions by switching to a pre-registration system either online or completed before the patient’s first visit.

Paperwork takes a lot of time and handling it on the same day as the appointment, increases wait times at the front desk and creates a bottleneck.

Another step is to outsource insurance verification services to an RCM company like Astron EHS. This will ensure accurate and advanced verification and on-demand needs will also be met for walk-ins, enabling you to attend to more patients efficiently.

3. Involve Patients with Emails

Emails are a very effective form of communication and almost everybody uses them. They are faster to send too!

Emails can be used to send appointment reminders ideally 2 days before the scheduled date, and yes, they are HIPAA compliant too as you don’t need to include the name of the patient.

It allows your team to avoid making several calls to reach patients if they are at work or in a public place and unable to respond due to privacy.

4. Streamline Patient Paperwork

You can speed up the intake process at the front desk by adopting a more efficient way of gathering information such as patient history. This will also reduce the traffic at the front desk and make for a calm, well-organized patient experience.

Some ways to achieve this are by:

Including Certain Patient Forms As Part Of The Online Registration Process

Remove Questions From Patient History That Don’t Make Sense For Your Practice

Avoid Asking Patients To Fill In Insurance Details When You Are Making A Copy Of Their Insurance Card Anyway

5. Automate Prescription Refills For medical practice

A lot of the calls received by the front office staff are about prescription refills. This means the one who answers must pull up all the patient information, forward it to the nurse’s station, follow up with the pharmacy and attend follow-up calls from the patient thereafter.

Rather you can streamline the system, allow for leaving a voicemail directly to the nurse for a refill and the staff can attend them together at end of the day.

6. Online Patient Portals For medical practice

Although not all patients will accept a patient register, scheduling, or payment gateway, if a few do, it will free up time for your team to undertake more difficult activities.

Your front desk reflects the efficiency of your practice. Although not all of the approaches mentioned are applicable for every drill, if one of them makes a difference, it’s worth it!

Get in touch with us at Astron EHS, for faster and more secure healthcare revenue cycle management services.