The best word to describe life as a patient access manager this year is uncertain.

There seems to be increasing uncertainty regarding many facets of the patient access manager’s job, such as Medicare’s Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program, which collected more than $900 million in overpayments from providers during its three-year demonstration project, and the nation’s economic crisis, which is causing some patients to feel the pinch and not pay their hospital bills.

We heard your concerns at the May 3–6 National Association of Healthcare Access Management conference in Dallas. However, no matter how big the cloud of uncertainty is above revenue cycles nationwide, this year was not without its successes for patient access teams.

The following is a form you can use to ensure accuracy in your MSP process. It is provided by Willis’ company and is also featured in the HCPro, Inc.’s CD-ROM, Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire Training Toolkit.

Editor’s note: This month’s training tool is provided by Khristine Anderson, training and data integrity specialist at Baptist Health South Florida, which includes seven hospitals in the Miami area. Baptist uses the following script for Medicare compliance and documenting medical necessity, which Medicare defines as services or items reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. A provider who bills Medicare for services that Medicare deems not medically necessary can be prosecuted for fraud.This script is only a guide; departmental protocols should be followed for all circumstances not covered.