Black Book Research Ranks ZOLL Billing the #1 Insurance Discovery Solution
Nov 14, 2024
1 min read
ZOLL® Data Systems has received top honors in Black Book’s annual Finance and Revenue Cycle Management survey for the second year in a row....
How an Air Medical Transport Company Broke Net Cash Collection Records With RCM Optimization Tools
Nov 12, 2024
1 min read
When Classic Air Medical (Classic Air) looked to upgrade their billing software, they had two goals in mind: 1) restructure the billing...
How To Stop the Surge in Self-pay Write-offs by Finding Hidden Coverage You Can Bill Today
Nov 6, 2024
1 min read
For years, healthcare providers have witnessed explosive growth in the number of patients who are self-paying or on high-deductible health...
What To Know About Insurance Eligibility, Discovery, and Verification
Oct 29, 2024
1 min read
The healthcare industry is rife with insider acronyms and language. Take, for example, the terminology used to describe various processes...
How Practice Management Companies Can Use RCM Optimization Tools To Help Customers Get Paid Faster
Oct 11, 2024
1 min read
As payment models shift, and the healthcare industry becomes increasingly complex, efficient revenue cycle management (RCM) practices are...
Air and Ground RCM Vendor Slashed Self-pay Volume and Increased Revenue With RCM Optimization Technology
Oct 4, 2024
1 min read
Before Golden Hour® began using ZOLL AR Boost®, their workflows consisted of manual efforts to verify patient demographics and insurance...
What To Consider When Making the Transition From On-premises to Cloud-based EMS Software
Sep 16, 2024
1 min read
For emergency medical service (EMS) organizations, making the jump from on-premises software to cloud-based software comes with a lot of...
Black Book Research Ranks ZOLL® AR Boost® as the #1 2024 Insurance Discovery Solution
Aug 6, 2024
1 min read
ZOLL® Data Systems has received top honors in Black Book’s annual Finance and Revenue Cycle Management survey for the second year in a row....
Why Chase Self-pay When You Can Find and Bill Active Coverage With Help From Automated Eligibility Tools?
Jul 16, 2024
1 min read
For years, healthcare providers have witnessed explosive growth in the number of patients who are self-pay or on high-deductible health...
You Can Protect Revenue Integrity: Tips for Ground and Air Ambulance Billers Navigating Medicare
ZOLL Data Systems | Jun 11, 2024
Medicare can cause a lot of headaches for air and ground emergency medical service (EMS) billers. What should, in theory, be a...
The Time is Now: Prevent Bad Debt With Automated Deductible Monitoring and Right-day Billing
ZOLL Data Systems | May 8, 2024
High-deductible insurance plans are continuing to grow in number, and patients often don’t meet their annual deductibles until much later...
Simple Steps Make All the Difference for Optimizing ePCRs for Billing
ZOLL Data Systems | May 3, 2024
It’s not a rare occurrence for patient care documentation to have many holes, inaccuracies, and deficiencies that make submitting clean...
How EMS Agencies Can Streamline the Prior Authorization Process To Protect Revenue and Reduce Burnout
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Mar 12, 2024
The prior authorization (PA) process emergency medical service (EMS) providers endure is a story of unintended consequences. Created as a...
Make This the Year You Optimize Accounts Receivable and Capture Maximum Revenue
ZOLL Data Systems | Feb 20, 2024
A new year means new opportunities to set goals, reevaluate current workflows, and make the necessary changes to enhance your accounts...
Healthcare RCM Platform Delivers 10% More Collections for Customer Using Real-time Insurance Discovery
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 31, 2024
Inovalon, a provider of cloud-based healthcare clinical and economic solutions, wanted to help their collections agency customer (serving...
Your Agency Isn’t Getting Paid: Here’s What You Can Do
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 23, 2024
You might be surprised at how many billing challenges are common for every agency. Issues that cause payment delays or denials are the same...
5 Ways to Achieve Revenue Integrity and Avoid Payment Delays
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 5, 2024
Revenue integrity is the goal of every billing department. If an agency can achieve this goal, its documentation will stand up to the...
Providers: Take Back Power During Payer Contract Negotiations
ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 19, 2023
Covering reimbursement rates, medical necessity, credentialing, and prior authorization (PA), payer-provider contracts are key to emergency...
Meet the New ZOLL Dispatch and ZOLL Respond CAD Solution
ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 14, 2023
When seconds count, it’s imperative that call takers and dispatchers have the right tools in place to get the optimal level of care out to...
Providers Can Even the Playing Field During Open Negotiations – Here’s How
ZOLL Data Systems | Nov 28, 2023
Emergency medical service (EMS) providers are facing ongoing challenges when it comes to receiving the maximum reimbursement rate from...
News Alert: ZOLL Claims Clarity Data Service for Healthcare Providers Delivers Claims Data To Foster Market Transparency and Support Data-driven Negotiation and Decision Making
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 30, 2023
Healthcare reimbursement practices are under scrutiny, and payment levels are declining for providers from emergency medical services (EMS)...
Gain More Confidence and a Stronger Position During Open Negotiations and IDR
ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 10, 2023
Since the No Surprises Act (NSA) has gone into effect, emergency medicine (EM) physicians and emergency medical service (EMS) air ambulance...
How the Prior Authorization Process Tests Patients, Providers, and Profits
ZOLL Data Systems | Aug 30, 2023
The prior authorization (PA) process was created as a utilization management tool for insurance companies and patients. However, it has...
Improve EMS Patient Satisfaction and Self-pay Balance Collections by Using a Modern Payment Platform
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | May 31, 2023
Patient satisfaction is a difficult puzzle for EMS providers to piece together. Medics are driven by a sincere desire to help people, but...
How Emergency Medicine Providers Can Mitigate Self-Pay Collection Challenges
ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 26, 2023
Across the country, emergency medicine providers are strapped by workforce gaps and swamped by a rising tide of patient visits to the...
Tips for Managing the Surge of Patients About To Lose Medicaid Coverage
ZOLL Data Systems | Feb 28, 2023
What happens when millions of people lose healthcare coverage in one year? That’s the question healthcare providers are apprehensively...
Proven Ways EMS Agencies Can Minimize Impact and Maximize Reimbursement From Self-pay Accounts
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 27, 2023
“Self-pay accounts are leaving EMS agencies “hanging by their fingernails.” So says Maggie Adams, President of EMS Financial Services.It’s...
How To Navigate the 2023 AMA Evaluation and Management Changes Like a Pro
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 20, 2023
Understanding recent, nuanced changes to American Medical Association (AMA) coding standards will be essential for maintaining financially...
EDI, AI, Robots, and Machine Learning: Demystifying Healthcare Software Automation
ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 20, 2022
Facing an increasing number and complexity of claims, many healthcare organizations are hoping that software automation can provide billing...
5 Best Practices To Enhance Efficiency and Optimize Reimbursement Under CPT® E/M Coding and Guideline Changes
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 16, 2022
Along with a new year, January 1 will usher in watershed changes to the American Medical Association’s (AMA) “Current Procedure Terminology...
Technology Fills the Revenue Cycle Skills Gap and Enhances Financial Performance
ZOLL Data Systems | Nov 29, 2022
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have had to weather multiple storms in recent years. First, when procedure volume dropped during the...
6 Steps to a Better Patient Experience Through Financial Transparency
ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 31, 2022
When patients receive attention and care on the financial portion of medical care, along with quality patient care, it can reduce stress,...
3 Ways ASCs Can Speed Up the Prior Authorization Process
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Sep 1, 2022
The demand for accessible, convenient outpatient procedures is growing. At the same time, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are contending...
Using Data to Understand Pre-pandemic Enrollment Patterns and Protect At-risk Patients During Medicaid Redetermination
ZOLL Data Systems | Jul 28, 2022
When the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) expires, it will be a pivotal time for providers, payers, and patients. As state Medicaid...
The Transformational Effects of Charitable Financial Screening For ASCs
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Jul 19, 2022
Despite staffing shortages and increasing patient volumes, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are still expected to provide high-quality...
Purpose-Built, Integrated Platforms Are the Future of Telemedicine
ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 26, 2022
Telemedicine is becoming standard practice for many healthcare providers. According to Dr. David Ernst, president of telemedicine innovator...
How Medical Groups Can Tune up Front-end RCM Processes and Capture More Revenue
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 22, 2022
Medical groups are facing unprecedented cost increases as well as lost revenue that can never be recaptured. While many groups focus on...
Automated Demographic Verification Should Be Every Laboratory’s First Line of Defense Against Revenue Leakage
ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 12, 2022
Many laboratories face financial challenges due to persistent downward pricing pressure, making it essential to capture payment on all...
How To Use AR Optimization and Patient Engagement Technology to Counteract ASC Staffing Shortages
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems, and Mark R. Jones, Vice President of Client Services, Gryphon Healthcare | Apr 1, 2022
The staffing crisis prompted by COVID-19 is unlikely to be resolved in the foreseeable future. When key positions can’t be filled in a...
5 Simple Steps That Help You Avoid Costly Billing Mistakes, Improve Your Bottom Line, and Reduce Patient Anxiety
Steve Wirth, Esq., EMT-P, Attorney, PWW, LLC | Mar 3, 2022
(7 min read) When providing healthcare services — whether that be in the pre-hospital (EMS) or traditional hospital setting — we are...
Strategies for Reducing Payment Uncertainty With Less Effort and More Satisfaction
ZOLL Data Systems | Feb 24, 2022
In a recent webinar hosted by Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA), AR optimization expert, Juli Smith, discussed the growing...
Conquering Billing Challenges Early in the Patient Encounter
ZOLL Data Systems | Feb 23, 2022
Healthcare providers are striving to meet rising demand in their communities but are feeling the burden of prior authorization get heavier....
Six Reasons You Can’t Miss ZOLL Summit 2022
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Feb 22, 2022
ZOLL’s largest educational event of the year, ZOLL Summit, brings hundreds of EMS, Fire, and healthcare professionals from all over the...
Demystifying Proper EMS Billing for Hospital Inpatient Transports Part 3: How Much Must the Hospital Pay?
Doug Wolfberg, Founding Partner and Attorney at Law, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth | Feb 15, 2022
This post is Part Three of a three-part series. View Part One | View Part Two. In part one of this three-part article series, we looked at...
Demystifying Proper EMS Billing for Hospital Inpatient Transports Part 2: Medicare Bundling Rules
Doug Wolfberg, Founding Partner and Attorney at Law, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth | Feb 8, 2022
This post is Part Two of a three-part series. View Part One |View Part Three. In the previous installment of this three-part article...
Demystifying Proper EMS Billing for Hospital Inpatient Transports Part 1: Who’s the Payer?
Doug Wolfberg, Founding Partner and Attorney at Law, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth | Feb 1, 2022
This post is Part One of a three-part series. View Part Two |View Part Three One of the areas of ambulance billing that can pose challenges...
Short-staffed ASCs Can Ease the Burden of Prior Authorization and Do More With Less
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 18, 2022
(2 min read) Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) do an exceptional job of collecting patient deductibles, co-pays, and other patient...
Using Mobile Devices for Connected Communication Transforms EMS Dispatch
Stephen Frye, Product Owner, ZOLL Respond and ZOLL Road Safety | Dec 28, 2021
Co-Written by Mike McKevitt, Director, Product Management
Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and the Potential Revenue Cycle Win for Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Aug 19, 2021
(2 min read) Data science made advances toward artificial intelligence (AI) for years, which encouraged scientists to believe the dream of...
Data Sharing Myth: HIPAA Prevents Bi-directional Health Information Exchange
Ryan Stark, Esq., Managing Partner, PWW | Aug 9, 2021
Misconceptions About HIPAA Have Created an Artificial Barrier to Bi-directional Data Sharing Between EMS and Hospitals
NEMT Market Disruption Spells Opportunity for Hospitals and EMS Agencies
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Jul 29, 2021
(6 min read) Non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) is a growing, multi-billion-dollar industry. According to Frost & Sullivan, the total...
Understanding How to Get Paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs for Ambulance Transports
ZOLL Data Systems | Jun 24, 2021
(3 min read) Getting reimbursement for ambulance transport from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can be challenging. For...
Top 6 Tips for Optimizing EMS Reimbursement, Care Quality, and Staffing
ZOLL Data Systems | Jun 23, 2021
(4 min read) Technology is transforming how the healthcare industry manages revenue, reimbursements. Claims processing is central to any...
How to Demystify Slow Revenue Capture, High Denials, and Too Many Write-offs
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Jun 17, 2021
(6 min read) Billing for emergency medical services (EMS) is tricky in the best of circumstances. In emergent situations, patients may or...
Tools and Strategies to Improve Revenue and Reduce Administrative Burden
ZOLL Data Systems | May 6, 2021
(2 min read) “One overarching thing I think that we are struggling with today as healthcare providers is payment uncertainty. We really...
Are Your Key Performance Indicators Costing You Money? (Part 3)
Brian S. Werfel, Esq., Partner, Werfel & Werfel, PLLC | Apr 29, 2021
Co-written by Scott A. Moore, Esq., Principal, Moore EMS Consulting LLC A Critical Look at How Common KPIs Are Being Used (or Misused) by...
The No Surprises Act: Preparing Your Practice for the Coming Challenges and Opportunities
Mark R. Jones, President and CEO, EMRJ Consulting | Apr 27, 2021
Co-written By Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems
Stop Relying on the Patient for Accurate and Timely Payer Information
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 22, 2021
(3 min read) When it comes to billing and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, as an industry, we have been doing the same things for...
5% of Your Self-pay Patients Likely Have Medicare Coverage
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 8, 2021
Gaps in demographic and insurance information are commonplace. Patients are often mislabeled as self-pay despite the presence of billable...
Retroactively Discover, Verify, and Bill Medicaid Coverage for Hospital Encounters
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Apr 5, 2021
(2 min read) In 2019, almost 50% of all insured individuals were insured through employer sponsored plans. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the
Data Analysis Drives Better Decision Making and Increased Revenue
Kristin Whitt, Director of Operations - Billing, ZOLL Data Systems | Mar 15, 2021
(5 min read) Hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, and other healthcare providers need accurate, complete, and reliable...
The Patient’s Financial Experience: Trends, Innovations, and Challenges
ZOLL Data Systems | Mar 11, 2021
Juli Forde, Director of Strategic Partnerships, AR Optimization at ZOLL® Data Systems partnered with Jonathan Wiik, Principal, Healthcare...
5 Timely EMS Billing Tips for Navigating 2021
Maggie Adams, President, EMS Financial Services | Feb 23, 2021
(7 min read) Have you ever lost your glasses only to find them on top of your head? The habit of putting them there has become so routine,...
Are Your Key Performance Indicators Costing You Money? (Part 2)
Brian S. Werfel, Esq., Partner, Werfel & Werfel, PLLC | Feb 19, 2021
Co-written by Scott A. Moore, Esq., Principal, Moore EMS Consulting LLC A Critical Look at How Common KPIs Are Being Used (or Misused) by...
Emotional Strain and Mental Health: Using ePCR Data to Transform the EMS Culture
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 28, 2021
Long shifts, low pay, and repeated, vicarious traumas are givens for paramedics and other EMS professionals. Enduring the physical and...
How Emergency Medicine Physicians Can Increase Revenue in 2021 With Medicare PFS Cuts Looming
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 21, 2021
In August 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed Medicare annual payment rule for 2021. This rule...
Reducing Emergency Department Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) in 2021
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 19, 2021
In 2020, emergency department volume reductions and an increase in uninsured patients have caused financial ripple effects through the...
The Cash Pay Lie and Other Costly Realities
ZOLL Data Systems | Jan 15, 2021
In an effort to maintain or increase patient volume and reduce collections costs, physician groups increasingly are offering substantial...
Emergency Medicine is Facing the Imperfect Storm in 2021
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 17, 2020
The proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for 2021 increases reimbursement for office and outpatient E/M codes and thereby reduces the...
Billing Medicare and Private Payers for Telehealth Visits: What to Expect Post-Public Health Emergency
ZOLL Data Systems | Dec 14, 2020
The American Medical Association (AMA) and many other organizations are actively advocating for continued support of telehealth...
Tips for EMS Agencies to Resolve Today's Patient-Pay Accounts
Maggie Adams, President, EMS Financial Services | Nov 24, 2020
Everywhere I go, ambulance providers, billing companies, and billers ask, “Why do patients think that ambulance service is free?” Across...
Data Sharing Myth: HIPAA Prevents Bi-directional Health Information Exchange
Ryan Stark, Esq., Managing Partner, PWW | Nov 17, 2020
Misconceptions About HIPAA Have Created an Artificial Barrier to Bi-directional Data Sharing Between EMS and Hospitals
What’s Next? More EMS Billing in the COVID Environment
ZOLL Data Systems | Nov 13, 2020
Like all other providers in the healthcare ecosystem, emergency medical services (EMS) agencies have been impacted in many ways by the...
How to Boost Billing Performance and Patient Satisfaction
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 20, 2020
(6 min read) Today, healthcare providers are under increased pressure to ensure a positive patient journey - one that prioritizes the ...
EMS Billing in the COVID-19 Environment
ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 13, 2020
(2 min read) In April 2020,the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) conducted a survey to assess the early impact...
Offering Patient-centric Payment Plans Increases Provider Collections by More than 11%
ZOLL Data Systems | Oct 6, 2020
(2 min read) Most healthcare providers report offering patient payment plans. The plans are popular; approximately half of consumers state...
Look Who’s Paying for Treatment without Transport
Maggie Adams, President, EMS Financial Services | Sep 22, 2020
How Efforts at the State Level Are Blazing the Trail for Community Paramedicine Reimbursement
Leveraging Technology to Augment the EMS Billing Process and Experience
Christa Lassen-Vogel, Senior Manager, ZOLL Data Systems | Sep 16, 2020
Is Now the Time to Re-engineer the EMS Billing Process?
Interoperability Has Come a Long Way, but There Is Much to Be Done
Dr. Greg Mears, MD, Medical Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Sep 3, 2020
(8 min read) 2020 has been an interesting year, and at the time of this writing, it’s only September. I am sure the word of the year will...
How to Optimize Revenue Cycle Management Technology: Best Practices from the Experts
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Aug 26, 2020
In a recent report by HIMSS Healthcare IT News, five healthcare revenue cycle technology experts offer perspectives on best practices for...
How to Verify Patient Eligibility Under the HRSA Uninsured COVID-19 Program
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Aug 13, 2020
In early April, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that a portion of the $100 billion CARES Act Provider Relief...
Not Your Traditional EMS Call: Documentation and Billing for Telehealth Consults
Tim Nowak, Founder & CEO, Emergency Medical Solutions, LLC | Aug 6, 2020
(5 min read)
Connected Communication Using Mobile Devices Transforms EMS Dispatch
Stephen Frye, Product Owner, ZOLL Respond and ZOLL Road Safety | Jul 30, 2020
Co-Written by Mike McKevitt, Director, Product Management
Leveraging Multiple Data Streams to Accelerate Reimbursement and Enable Agile Operations
Tyler Williams, Director of Strategy, AR Optimization, ZOLL Data Systems | Jul 22, 2020
(7 min read) Consider this scenario: a child enters the hospital emergency department with a broken collar bone, sustained while at play....
How EMS Providers Can Spend CARES Act Relief Funds and Prepare for an Audit
Steve Wirth, Esq., EMT-P, Attorney, PWW, LLC | Jul 14, 2020
Broad HHS Guidance Covers Coronavirus Response and Lost Revenue
Mitigate the Impact of Volume Loss by Optimizing Accounts Receivable
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Jul 9, 2020
Proven Best Practices and Solutions to Effectively Mine Past Accounts Receivable (5 min read) Amid COVID-19, hospitals and providers alike...
Guarding Against (More) Revenue Loss
Maggie Adams, President, EMS Financial Services | Jun 18, 2020
By Maggie Adams
Improve ET3 Outcomes with Information Best Practices and Data Exchange
Tim Nowak, Founder & CEO, Emergency Medical Solutions, LLC | Jun 16, 2020
Innovating Revenue Streams During COVID-19: Four Telehealth Best Practices
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | Jun 4, 2020
Written By: Juli Forde (3 min read) As healthcare providers continue to manage unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, making...
How to Prevent Revenue Loss During COVID-19
Juli Smith, Director, ZOLL Data Systems | May 21, 2020
Unanticipated situations like the COVID-19 crisis present significant revenue challenges for healthcare providers. The path forward can be...
How to Minimize the Operational Impact of MBI and Increase Patient Satisfaction
Ray de la Pena | May 13, 2020
4 Tips for Maximizing Billing During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Maggie Adams, President, EMS Financial Services | Mar 26, 2020
(3 min read) Using your software tools to maximize billing efforts during these difficult times may not be top of mind right now, but I...
COVID-19 Patient Documentation to Improve Outcomes and Protect EMS Crews
Chad Hurka | Mar 13, 2020
With COVID-19 cases on the rise, first responders must address a new set of concerns relating to patient care and crew safety. The CDC has...
Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers Accelerate Claim Payment
Kelli Turner | Feb 11, 2020
(4 min read) On January 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made the formal shift to the use of Medicare...
Being Paid vs. Being Paid Correctly: The Difference Can Be Costly
Daniel Pedersen | Feb 5, 2020
(4 min read) It’s no secret that being paid for the service you provide is the goal for most ambulance systems. After all, reimbursement is...
ROI from CQI
Tim Nowak, Founder & CEO, Emergency Medical Solutions, LLC | Jan 15, 2020
(4 min read) CQI involves more than just checking reports to make sure that the “red” went away, it’s a continuous process focusing on...
Achieving Revenue (Tri)Cycle; Not (Uni)Cycle
Daniel Pedersen | Nov 6, 2019
(3 min read) When people hear the phrase “revenue cycle,” words like "billing," "collections," and "payment" typically come to mind. While...
