Progress is defined not so much by the invention of new technology, but by our ability to use it for solving problems and reaching our objectives. Indeed, today s ever-changing world of healthcare requires solutions that can be implemented to achieve immediate results. Anthem is committed to helping you improve efficiencies by offering you solutions that streamline business operations and improve revenue cycles. Anthem has partnered with Medical Electronic Attachment (MEA) to offer its providers the ability to send all supporting claim documentation electronically with the initial claim submission. MEA s FastAttach enables you to electronically submit the required attachments during the initial electronic claim submission. You can scan documents, up-load files or capture stored images, and send them electronically, eliminating the need to fax or mail paper documents. Claims and attachments submitted electronically are generally processed faster than paper submissions. More claims will be adjudicated on the first submission which will result in faster reimbursement. Anthem is encouraging its providers to use this solution to send your claim attachments electronically with your initial electronic claim submissions. The FastAttach solution: Improves revenue cycles Reduces administrative costs (fax, postage) Eliminates lost attachments Reduces attachment re-submission requests Provides HIPAA-compliant attachment processing Reduces time spent tracking payments *SPECIAL PROMOTION* For a limited time, MEA is reducing all registration fees for Anthem Blue Cross providers by 20%! For details regarding this promotion please contact an MEA sales representative at 888-329-9988, opt. 2 If you need additional information about FastAttach, please contact MEA at 888-329-9988, option 2, or visit www.mea-fast.com.
Anthem Provider Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) FastAttach provides an innovative and comprehensive solution that completely eliminates paper documents and operational inefficiencies from the claims adjudication process, thereby improving the revenue cycles for providers of any size or specialty. FastAttach enables providers to create and transmit electronic attachments including lab reports, EOBs, treatment authorizations, certificates of medical necessity, narratives, ER records, doctors notes, nurses notes, referrals, and any other documentation required to adjudicate a claim. The Benefits of Using FastAttach: * Improves claim first pass acceptance rate which results in faster payment fewer days in accounts receivable (DAR) * Reduces time tracking claims status * Eliminates lost attachments * Reduces pended and denied claims * Improves office staff productivity and overall practice efficiency * Reduces postage and fax charges * Provides secure HIPAA-compliant transmission and storage * Requires little or no technical resources to implement In addition to rendering quality patient care, providers face the usual challenges of managing a business - maximizing cash utilization and reducing expenses. FastAttach was developed so providers could submit all claims substantiation documents in a less costly and more efficient manner - electronically! As a result, providers experience fewer denials, meaningful reductions in administrative costs and measurable improvements in revenue cycles. FastAttach can be used with any practice management system, document management system, or revenue cycle management system and it works with any claims clearinghouse!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q: What is FastAttach? A: FastAttach enables healthcare providers to electronically transmit documents such as lab reports, EOBs, treatment authorizations, certificates of medical necessity, narratives, ER records, doctor s notes, referrals, nurse s notes, or any other documentation required by a payor to adjudicate a claim. Q: How does FastAttach work? A: FastAttach securely transmits electronic claims attachments through the Internet to the MEA secure repository. Once received, MEA assigns a unique tracking number to the attachment that the provider places in the PWK segment in the electronic ANSI 837 file, and transmits their completed claims electronically to the payor. It is important that the attachment number be correctly passed from the PMS/EHR system, through the clearinghouse, and eventually to the payor. Claims attachments are stored for viewing by your payors for 10 years. Q: Where can I see a demonstration of FastAttach? A: To see a short, high-level demonstration of FastAttach, simply go to www.mea-fast.com, click on the FastAttach button near the top of the screen, and then select Products (Demo). Q: What document capture methods does FastAttach use when creating an attachment? A: Providers create electronic claim attachments in three ways. 1) By using a scanner, 2) a print capture function that virtually prints electronic document(s) directly into FastAttach, or 3) by a file import function. Q: How will patient information be entered into FastAttach? A: You can either enter patient information manually as the attachment is being created or by using our Patient Preload utility. Whether you are a single doctor practice or a large university hospital, Preload will save you time. If you elect to take advantage of this timesaving utility, and we encourage you to do so, you will need to provide an extract from your patient billing system each evening that contains specific pieces of each patient s metadata. During the night, MEA will pick up the extracted information, properly format it, and load it into FastAttach, thereby eliminating the need for your billers to manually enter each patient s data. MEA provides multiple ways to implement the Patient Preload utility because no two provider environments are exactly the same. We will work closely with your IT organization to implement the best solution for your organization.
Q: How secure are attachments once submitted to the MEA repository? A: Payors can only view attachments that were transmitted to them by their providers. MEA is fully HIPAA-compliant, and FastAttach meets or exceeds all federal regulations required to view attachments. Q: Are attachments ever stored in our computers? A: No. FastAttach stores your images in a secure, HIPAA-compliant, off-site repository, not in your office computers. Your attachments are secure and can be viewed online for 10 years. Q: What payors accept electronic attachments created by FastAttach? A: The list of payors accepting electronic attachments increases every day. Please visit the MEA website at www.mea-fast.com to view the most current list. Q: Will there ever be the need to resubmit an attachment? A: No. If a payor requests documentation that you have already sent electronically, we ask that you contact the MEA Tech Support staff. Our staff will contact the payor on your behalf and instruct them on how to retrieve the attachment using its MEA or tracking number. Q: How much does FastAttach cost? A: There is a one time FastAttach registration fee that includes our software, installation and training for your entire billing team. Our attachment fees are dependent on the size of your group and include unlimited software upgrades, you will never have to pay for the newest version of FastAttach, and unlimited access to our award winning customer support team. Please contact an MEA representative for further pricing details. Q: How do I get started using FastAttach? A: Anthem providers can register online at the MEA website, www.mea-fast.com. Click on Provider Registration to begin the registration process. If you need any assistance, please call 1-888-329-9988, and select option 2.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Technical For Stand-Alone Desktop Computers Q: What hardware and software is required to use FastAttach? A: Almost any industry standard, Microsoft Windows workstation with a high-speed Internet connection will satisfy the hardware requirements to use FastAttach. You will also need the following software that usually comes already installed by the hardware manufacturer: Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0, Service Pack 1 o Required for FastAttach on Windows 2000 Microsoft.NET Framework 3.5, Service Pack 2 o Required for FastAttach on Windows XP or newer For Network Environments Q: Will FastAttach work in a Network or Terminal Services environment? A: Yes. Larger providers can use FastAttach in Terminal Services and Citrix environments, however we recommend that your IT staff works closely with MEA s IT staff to ensure the proper configuration. Compliance Q: How does FastAttach protect a patient s health information (PHI)? A: FastAttach complies with all HITECH Act regulations and HIPAA requirements. It uses Secured Socket Layer (SSL) version 3 to encrypt all patient information. Industry standard protocols are used to access the information. In addition, anyone authorized to use FastAttach must be credentialed with both a unique user name and password. Q: Is my data secure? A: All attachments submitted by providers are stored in multiple, secure locations before we send an acknowledgment of receipt and assign it a unique MEA number. We have never lost an attachment.