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Emerging Health Information Technology to Provide Healthcare Transaction

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

Emerging Health Information Technology, an experienced provider of healthcare information management solutions, announced that it has signed a three-year agreement with Morris Heights Health Center to provide Healthcare Transaction Management (HTM) services. The company will provide a suite of services to help Morris Heights manage the healthcare reimbursement cycle, from formatting claims to meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to exception processing, remittance and resolution reporting. These services are designed to ensure fast, accurate and consistent claims processing in order to reduce potential claims denials, improve A/R and increase cash flow.

"We are pleased to be working with Morris Heights to help streamline their reimbursement and revenue cycle processes," said Jack Wolf, president and chief executive officer at Emerging Health. "By using Emerging Health to process HIPAA-compliant claims and track adjudication and remittances, Morris Heights will gain total visibility and control over the entire claims continuum."

"Emerging Health brings significant added value to the management of our revenue cycle. They have developed the technology and the processes to speed reimbursements and improve receivables while protecting the confidentiality and integrity of our patient information as required by HIPAA," said Lloyd Crooks, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Morris Heights Health Center. "Ultimately, it is our patients that benefit from improvements to our business processes."

The United States Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in healthcare. Under the Administrative Simplification Compliance provisions of the act, healthcare providers and payers are required to submit all claims for reimbursement under Medicare electronically in a standard format using standard codes.

Emerging Health brings a new level of automation to the claims reimbursement process. In addition to increasing first pass adjudication rates through better HIPAA-compliant submissions, the company has developed advanced business intelligence tools to manage workflow, including the application of sophisticated business rules and logic to handle complex resubmissions and provide detailed analysis of claims outstanding. Emerging Health will provide Morris Heights with weekly reports to monitor and track claims status which will help the Health Center improve cash predictability.

"Many healthcare institutions have underestimated the complexity of transitioning claims to HIPAA compliance and have experienced increased claims denials and protracted receivables," said Wolf. "Our goal is to help our clients reduce their administrative costs, strengthen their financial performance, and most importantly, optimize their internal IT resources in ways that will have the greatest impact on improving patient care."

About Emerging Health

Emerging Health Information Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Montefiore Medical Center, is a provider of healthcare information management solutions for hospitals, integrated delivery networks and medical centers. The company offers a comprehensive suite of clinical, financial and operations software and services that improve patient care, maximize financial performance, streamline business processes and enhance operating efficiency across the entire patient care continuum. The firm provides implementation of enterprise healthcare systems, revenue cycle management solutions, hosted applications and infrastructure management services. For information, visit www.emerginghealthIT.com.

About Morris Heights

Morris Heights Health Center (MHHC) is the major provider of healthcare to Morris Heights and the surrounding areas. MHHC provides quality primary healthcare services to all members of the community, including the medically, socially and economically disadvantaged -- from medical and dental services to counseling. MHHC was the first federally funded community health center in New York City to be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Morris Heights Health Center is affiliated with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS).

Source: Business Wire

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