Frequently Asked Questions

We can assist you with a cost comparison that reviews your practice’s historical performance, charge volume, and collection percentages. With this information, we will provide you with an estimate so you can evaluate your current billing and/or coding needs. We will include targets on increasing cash flow, profitability, and securing reimbursement. At your request, we will help you compare billing service costs versus employee staffing and compensation.

We provide you with choices for fees, including revenue-based and claims volume models. Based on your historical data and set-up costs related to your practice, we identify a comprehensive monthly rate. Should you need additional assistance outside of your contract, SVA can provide you with unique arrangements to fit your requirements.

Keeping health information private concerns everyone in the delivery of health care services. Our professionals are well-versed in the language of compliance and the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). All of our staff participates in continuing education in best practices for maintaining patients’ privacy.

Yes. SVA has monitoring tools that staff employ through the revenue cycle management process. We assist clients in development of charge documents using SVA’s best practices. Additionally, our consultants have reviewed the effectiveness and routing of the charge documents to determine redundancy, missed charges, or unnecessary delays.

SVA serves clients through staffing collaborations. With service lines in revenue cycle management, consulting, and through SVA MedCode Specialists, our professionals gain experience and working knowledge across an expanded client base. We further invest in coding education and cross-training to promote growth in specialty knowledge. SVA regularly qualifies and gains credit approval for its internal training through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

SVA can determine if there are further opportunities for revenue within a practice where staff may have limited knowledge in working with payers or in technical knowledge of a billing software system. We can identify areas for additional training or payer strategies for follow up.

Many of the services provided by SVA, such as practice workflow evaluations, denial analysis, and fee analysis are not dependent on specialty. However, SVA has over 45 certified coders with experience across many different physician specialties, ambulatory surgery, hospital, dental, and ancillary provider care. Many of these coders have advanced certifications in these specialties including ambulatory surgery, interventional radiology, and anesthesia.

Yes. We provide auditing for evaluation and management as well as procedural services. We have a clear audit process and tools to ensure consistent review across all points of the record including record integrity, code selection, modifier assignment, and other criteria.

SVA provides assistance in contract review and negotiation to consulting clients as well as its revenue cycle management clients. Healthcare consultants have engaged in all aspects of contract review including review of terms, analysis of methodology, impact calculations, and fee analysis. Additionally, we have developed a step-by-step contract document review to ensure that all critical terms are evaluated.

We compare a practice’s fees to regional market data, Medicare, and other payer sources to provide the client with a comparative picture of their fee schedule. Additionally, opportunities for changing fee structure or identifying service representation are reviewed by SVA.

SVA takes a three point approach with all clients engaged in contract project. We have a defined policy to maintain confidentiality and avoid price fixing or collusion. We use fee surveys and other data as tools for analysis. We confirm all counterproposals with the client before responding to the payer.

SVA has established payer relationships with key contacts to enable routine and targeted communications on the client’s behalf. We also participate in the Wisconsin Medical Group Management Association third-party payer work group.