Medical Billing and Coding Process Essay Example for Free

Medical Billing and Coding Process Essay Step One: Preregister patients-Patients who call in order to schedule an appointment have to provide basic information. General information usually includes the person’s first, middle, and last names along with their address, the reason for the encounter, their basic insurance information, and the most convenient date and time of the appointment. During the encounter: Step Two: Establish financial responsibility-The person behind the window will inform the patient on whether or not they are eligible for that specific health plan, check the factors that are covered under that health plan, determine the first payer if there are more than one health plan that actually covers that patient, and meet the payer’s conditions for the payment. Step Three: Check in patients-Returning patients are required to sign in at the front desk of the facility. They usually are asked to review previous information to make sure that it is accurate and up-to-date. Their financial records are also checked to make sure that previous balances were paid at the time of the previous visits. If a new patient arrives, they are required to fill out a form that includes their personal information and show proof of their identification as well as proof of their insurance. This helps to eliminate fraud or malpractice in the facility. The patient’s personal information and insurance information will then be copied and returned to the patient. This information is entered into the facility’s database for future reference. The front and back of the insurance cards and other identification cards are scanned and copied in order to be storied in the database. Copayments are always collected at the time of the service, some are collected before the encou nter and some are collected after the encounter. Some facilities  require other forms to be completed by the patients, these forms are included as part of the process of recording administrative and clinical facts about patients. Step Four: Review Coding Compliance-In order for billing options to be carried out to the patient, medical codes must assign the medical procedures and diagnoses. The physician does specific codes for specific treatments and procedures. The treatment that the patient receives from the physician is entered into the database. The treatment and procedures that the patient receives have to be completed and signed by the physician. At the end of the patient’s visit, the physician gives the form (with the checked-off treatments and procedures) to the individual at the front desk. That person then in turn gives the form to the billing function of the facility. After this is done, they set up a patient’s next appointment. Step Five: Review Billing Compliance-After the facility transfers the patient’s diagnoses and procedures to billing, the file is then checked by billing in order to determine if the specific billing options are correct or not, and to make sure that reimbursements are returned to the patient in a timely fashion. Every fee or charge has its own specific procedure code. Usually, the physician’s charges are applied to the medical practice’s fee schedule.

Feminism in M. Butterfly Essay -- David Henry Hwang

Feminism in M. Butterfly In the 1989 drama M. Butterfly, the masterwork of contemporary American playwright David Henry Hwang, the topic of sexual politics underlies all other themes, and creates a tension between the genders that pervades throughout the text; moreover, Hwang subverts traditional thematic aspects of sexual politics by questioning the most fundamental unit of sex by considering the very nature of gender and what defines a male or a female. These elements unite and develop a penetrating examination of feminism, and an inspection of the role of females in both Western and Eastern societies as they relate to males, and an exposà © of the inequalities of gender which are present, perhaps fundamental, in both cultures. The tug-of-war for control, both sexual and intellectual, between male and female characters, especially Rene Gallimard and Song Liling, is ubiquitous throughout the text, and culminates in the final scene where Rene commits seppuku, or Japanese ritual suicide. In M. Butterfly, Hwang views feminism from a variety of unusual lenses by looking at both genders, and serving to draw attention to the traits and qualities of both using dialogue, character study, and clever dramatic techniques. Any discussion of feminism in M. Butterfly must be chronological, and show the development of the characters over time; this allows the reader and audience to mark the character study of the selves over duration of the drama. In the opening act the reader is introduced to a very feminine Song Liling, the character who first assumes the function of the female. Hwang acquaints the reader with Song dancing, and in female garb, in the stage directions of the first act; yet the audience can guess as early as two page... ...ruitless and impossible way to establish a productive, working relationship between men and women. From the three gossipers to Gallimard and Marc, from Gallimard and Renee to Gallimard and Song, Hwang inspects feminism using a new and unusual viewpoint throughout the play, which he asserts in various ways. Hwang states that only as equals can male and female coexist in harmony; revealing underlying sexism in both the cultures of East and West, Hwang shows there is much room for improvement, and that education of gender would be a valuable thing. M. Butterfly is a strong and creative drama driven by strong and creative ideas, but none are as clear or as forceful as the inequalities between men (the errant need to control) and women (submitting to these controls) and their sources (male insecurities, fear of vulnerability), which he discloses, and ultimately, condemns.

Deoderent Market in India Essay

Abstract Topic:- Monopoly or monopolistic competition in Deodorant brands? After seeing so many outrageous deodorant advertisements on television we were wondering whether it affects the consumer behavior and we also wanted to find out whether Axe has a monopoly over this market or not. The aim of this assignment is to compare the parent companies of five deodorant brands with the help of ratio analysis. We are going to consider the time period 2007-12. Primary data was collected through a survey which will help us determine what thinking goes behind purchasing a deo between college students and the office going crowd. To conduct the ratio analysis we used secondary data by obtaining the balance sheets of the various companies. The market share and revenues of five major brands- Axe, Adidas, Nivea, Wildstone and Park Avenue will be analyzed. Introduction Monopolistic Competition Monopolistic competition is a type of imperfect competition such that many producers sell products that are differentiated from one another as goods but not perfect substitutes (such as from branding, quality, or location). In monopolistic competition, a firm takes the prices charged by its rivals as given and ignores the impact of its own prices on the prices of other firms.[1] In a monopolistically competitive market, firms can behave like monopolies in the short run, including by using market power to generate profit. In the long run, however, other firms enter the market and the benefits of differentiation decrease with competition. There are six characteristics of monopolistic competition (MC): * Product differentiation * Many firms * Free entry and exit in the long run * Independent decision making * Market Power * Buyers and Sellers do not have perfect information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopolistic_competition) Economic Background The deodorant market in India is estimated at Rs 900 crore. Men’s deodorants dominate the category with a 70 per cent share estimated at Rs 650 crore. The segment is expected to grow 25 per cent annually to become three times its current size in the next five years. The overall deodorant market has grown by about 40 per cent a year in the past five years driven by introduction of new brands and aggressive media promotions. The market will continue to grow at 20-25 per cent thanks to low penetration and availability at low price points. Deodorant sales are seasonal — maximum sales happen in the summer months (April to September). About 90 per cent of the market is concentrated in the mass segment (with deodorants priced between Rs 125 and Rs 175 for a 150 ml pack). With new players entering the category at popular price points, the mass segment, with brands like Axe, Adidas, Nike and Reebok, will continue to grow faster and command higher share in the deodorant market. The size of the premium and above segments, which have brands like Burberry, The Body Shop, Kenzo and Ralph Lauren, will double by value in the next five years. (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kit-the-men%5Cs-deodorant-market-in-india/443714) Method We will be using the financial tools of various ratios to determine which company has been more successful in this market. Survey The survey was conducted on 200 males in the college and office going crowd the results were as follows. 1. Which Deodorant do you use? Analysis As we can see from the above graph that Axe has a majority amongst the people surveyed while the others are below 10%. This gives us a picture of the domination of Axe in this market and same is the case when market share all over India is observed. 2. Reason for buying the particular brand. From the above graph we find that the decision of people in the age group of 15-25 behind buying a particular deodorant is not its fragrance but its price followed by easy availability and advertising. This shows us that main factor which affects a consumer’s decision, in this age group is the price of the product followed by other factors regarding quality, availability etc. This was the result obtained from the office crowd which gave an entirely different reason. The consumers decision in this age group is affected by the brand as people become brand conscious and are more bothered about which brand they use rather than its use. After the brand value the price affects their decisions. Hence from both these results we see that consumer behaviour varies on the different age groups and changes as a consumer grows older. Findings: Name: Mahikaansh Reddy Brand: AXE (Hindustan Unilever) AXE was launched in France in 1983 by Unilever. It was inspired by another of Unilever’s brands, Impulse. Unilever were keen to capitalize on AXE’s French success and the rest of Europe from 1985 onwards, later introducing the other products in the range. Unilever were unable to use the name AXE in the United Kingdom and Ireland due to trademark problems so it was launched as Lynx. The European launch of the deodorant was followed by success in Latin America and moderate impact in Asia and Africa. In the new millennium, the brand has launched with great success in the United States and Canada. The company has also consolidated its deodorant portfolio by migrating other overlapping male deodorants into the Lynx brand such as South Africa’s Ego brand. In January 2012, Unilever launched its first Lynx product for women in the United Kingdom as part of a global expansion of the previously men’s-only brand. The AXE deodorant was popular in India in the Grey market (duty paid shops). Impressed by the volume of AXE sold there, AXE deodorant was launched in India in 1999. The brand launch was very quiet and had the strategy of ‘High Price, Low Promotion’. At that time, the deodorant market was a nascent one with an estimated market size of Rs 72 crore. HLL, at that time, had the brands Denim and Rexona and was ruling the market. AXE was priced at a premium. In just three years flat, AXE had a market share of over 35% and HLL started phasing out Denim to concentrate more on AXE. It is known for its very controversial advertisements which actually helped in its publicity and led to a faster growth in the industry. Its target group was mainly men between the age group of 18-24 as they were seen as the easiest to convince with such advertisements. Not only does the brand use TV commercials to its advantage, but it also uses its print ads effectively. Besides print, the brand also uses outdoors for maximum impact. Hence, Axe is a classic example of the 360 degree branding effort. Therefore Axe is a perfect example of how important advertising is for a brand and how it can lead to higher revenues. Marketing Mix 1. Product: 2. Place: Available at all malls across India. Every deodorant selling shop will 99% be selling Axe. All other variants of Axe brand could be purchased from established retailers viz. BIG BAZAAR (PANTALOONS RETAIL INDIA LIMITED). 1. Promotion: Concentrates on single- segment male youth and targets young at heart. The competitive advantage of this brand is its complete monopoly over this proposition. The â€Å"Axe Effect† is one of the most famous claim in the world. This so called effect is supposed to draw women in hordes to any male who has sprayed himself liberally with the Axe deodorant. The advertisements are very slick and usually display a normal male but with oodles of self-assurance as an Axe user. The females get irresistibly drawn to this male implying that Axe acts like a nasal aphrodisiac. 2. The Axe brand of deodorants is from Unilever and is primarily targeted at 15 to 25 year old males. The brand portrays normal yet cool, trendy and confident, a positioning that is aspirational to the target segment. At a more subtle level, the Axe Effect also acts on the confidence levels of the user. The very act of being associated with the brand serves to boost the ego. The success of AXE attracted lots of new brands which were trying to follow the same marketing strategy as AXE. The one notable difference though is that all these newbies use hunks as opposed to the regular guys which are a stable for the Axe advertisements. This strategy has proven very effective for the brand. It comes across as approachable and it acts like a confidante and friend to its users. They are currently distributed in more than 40 countries. Unilever started out allotting roughly 60 percent of its advertising budget to television, but it has since winnowed that down to about 30 percent, pouring more money into offbeat alternatives. Competitive analysis: Axe faces competition from new entrants such as Wildstone, Adidas, Park Avenue etc. However among all these brands AXE has a dominating share in the market because of the brand equity and brand loyalty that it has built and is leveraging the same. AXE has a wide acceptance among the youth which forms the major chunk of perfume & deodorant users. Vis-à  -vis all these the AXE deodorant never forgets to promote any of its new product. AXE time and again, on launch of the new product goes for PR as well as wide advertising campaigns. 3. Target group- 18 to 24 What next? As such, I believe that AXE has the potential to spread its reach and increase its market share by expanding into the 35-50 year old demographic. In doing so, AXE will need to associate and disassociate itself with a more mature brand image and its inexpensive nature respectively, thereby attracting the average male aged 35-50 years. Hence it needs to re-focus the marketing mix towards 35-50 year old demographic, whilst retaining its keystone market, the 16-25 year olds. Conclusion Axe has a very large share in this market and has hardly got a foot wrong. It just needs to follow its tried and tested market strategies and build upon it, by doing that it can thwart the competition and maintain its kind of monopoly in the market. The only thing that could be suggested is to increase its target group so that it could expand more in the market and serve a larger base leading to higher revenues. Hence Axe just needs to follow what it was doing from before and be wary of the new competition in this segment with the help of excessive advertising and PR.

Cosmetic Surgery A Social Fixture - 946 Words

From the looming skyscrapers of Sao Paulo to the sugar plantations in Bom Jesus, the enigma and appeal of beauty is incorporated into the daily lives of people from all backgrounds. Beauty has evolved to become a social fixture in Brazilian society. The endless possibilities for imagination through cosmetic surgery give rise to the opportunity of ascending and reshaping the social hierarchy in Brazil. As beauty and race are widely associated with social domain, cosmetic surgery incites the natural desire and fantasies for empowerment, social mobility, and modernity. Not only does beauty and body modifications reflect the existing social and racial inequalities in Brazilian culture, the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery stems from its widespread availability, psychological lure, and the struggle to create a more egalitarian society. When Alexander Edmonds arrived at the clinic in Santa Casa, he found himself surrounded by dozens of excited women carrying medical files and photogr aphs, most of whom waiting for plà ¡stica or plastic surgery. While many of the other social and political rights are largely ignored or unfulfilled in Brazil, cosmetic surgery has flourished. The growing popularity and availability of cosmetic surgery can be partly attributed to the importance of beauty and its promises of the â€Å"magical attainment of recognition and wealth† (Edmonds). Much like the famous model Gisele Bà ¼ndchen, many Brazilians crave the spotlight but only a few can obtain it. ManyShow MoreRelatedEssay about Gendered Media9688 Words   |  39 Pagesappears in the increasingly popular gothic romance novels for adults (Modleski, 1982). One of the most pervasive ways in which media define males as authorities is in commercials. Women are routinely shown anguishing over dirty floors and bathroom fixtures only to be relieved of their distress when Mr. Clean shows up to tell them how to keep their homes spotless. Even when commercials are aimed at women se lling products intended for them, up to 90% of the tim: a man’s voice is used to explain the valueRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesperspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7 (paper : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0271-4 (electronic) 1. History, Modern—20th century. 2. Twentieth century. 3. Social history—20th century. 4. World politics—20th century. I. Adas, Michael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National StandardRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesis it, and why does it matter? Introduction What is organization theory? Defining theory What are organizations? The relationship between organization theory and human activities The relationship between organization theory and management practice Social engineering and organization theory Critical alternatives to managerialism in organization theory Philosophical disputes and debates: explaining and understanding the diverse nature of organization theory Mapping some aspects of organization theory’sRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 PagesECS8C_C01.qxd 22/10/2007 11:54 Page 600 600 Guide to the main focus of cases in the book Introduction to strategy Business environment: general Five forces analysis Capability analysis Corporate governance Stakeholder expectations Social responsibility Culture Competitive strategy Strategic options: directions Corporate-level strategy International strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic options: methods Strategy evaluation Strategic management process Organising ResourcingRead MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 PagesS I X News Corp in 2005: Consolidating the DirecTV acquisition C A S E S E V E N Shanghai Volkswagen: Implementing project management in the electrical engineering division C A S E E I G H T Television New Zealand: Balancing between commercial and social objectives C A S E N I N E From greenï ¬ eld to graduates: University of the Sunshine Coast C A S E T E N Whole Foods Market, 2005: Will there be enough organic food to satisfy the C A S E E L E V E N growing demand? Wal-Mart Stores Inc.: Dominating