To that end, the state's Medicaid program is offering Maryland health care providers a more efficient and less time-consuming way to sign up for the program. Instead of sending in an application and a copy of their license and waiting for a reply to see if they're enrolled--a process that usually takes two weeks and a flurry of letters--health care providers can now go online, type in their information, get a quick verification and be given a provider number--in real time.
Once in the Medicaid program, physicians and other health care providers have online access to a summary of their claims information- -what bills have been paid, denied or suspended. If a claim has not been paid on time, the e-Medicaid automation system allows them to see what the problem or holdup is. It may be that information is missing or incorrect on the claim form, in which case they can make any necessary additions or corrections.
The Medicaid staff still gets a hundred calls a week about unpaid claims, but the automated system should cut down on those calls eventually--and speed up reimbursement to providers. All of this may not amount to a cost savings per se, but it allows a shift of resources to other problem areas and is an improvement in customer service.
