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Is Your Patient Data Held
Hostage?
8. Data Migration
Software vendors intentionally make it difficult to change software by
opting for proprietary databases and making universal export features
unavailable. They are quick to capitalize on this fact when it comes time
for software updates. In the recent rush to become NPI compliant, many
practices faced updates or upgrades that exceeded the cost of their
original system and/or the cost of competing systems with superior
features. This section seeks to take the mystery and fear out of changing
over to a new billing system, and to provide a straight forward approach
that is hoped will empower your practice to work with the software vendor
of your choice – one that you select as best able to meet your needs.
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Data Migration is Available for
Practically All Systems
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The Process of Migrating to a new
Billing System is Manageable
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Selecting the Right Software Vendor
is Essential
Fear of the unknown and anticipated
larger than life headaches associated with the changing of billing systems
keeps many practices chained to a software with inferior features and
minimal support. Here are some practical guidelines for managing a
successful transition to a new billing software.
PLAN YOUR ATTACK:
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First, the decision must be made
whether to re-enter old patient data by hand as patients schedule new
office visits over time, or to have the old data converted and
'migrated' over to the new system (often at a significant cost). In
actual experience, ninety percent of practices
choose to re-enter patient data as patients come back in,
rather than paying good money to import volumes of patient information
that may be seriously outdated.
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Set an implementation date. Make
certain to allow ample time for staff training on the new program – 60
to 90 days recommended.
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Purchase software from a company
(ideally) that can do the data migration. Cost typically will range from
just under $1000 on up to $2600 – depending on how many patient records
are being migrated and upon how many details are being carried over.
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The vendor doing the data conversion
will need to be supplied with back-up files of your present system.
After converting the data, they will supply you with a copy of your new
software containing all your patient demographics and insurance info.
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The financial data in your old system
will become an archive that should be preserved for some time. Hold on
to at least one server from your old system making sure to back up both
the data files, and the program itself. Questions about claims submitted
prior to the transition date will be referenced to this archived system.
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Absolutely! continue billing on the
old system until the switch over date. Just prior to the move, bring all
billing up to date! It is essential that you are current with claims
when you make the transition, as it can take several weeks to make a
move to a new Clearinghouse (if required), and it generally takes longer
than expected for staff to adjust to a new software system. Avoid a
billing crisis by being current at the time of change over.
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Prior to the transition date, capture
all desired management reports from the old system making particular
note of open balances and receivables. A choice can be made to either:
a.) carry balance forwards over to the new system, or b.) leave them in
the old system. If left in the old system, payments for dates of service
prior to the change over should be entered into the old software.
Payments for dates of service after the change will be posted to the new
system.
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In time the old system will become
retired and account receivable figures will become static. Eventually
uncollected patient balances will typically either be written off or
sent to collections.
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a New Generation of Medical Billing Software - MPMsoft
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