The Front Desk software supports both Medicare Easyclaim and Medicare/DVA Online claiming. We are often asked what the difference is between the two. I hope this article helps.
Medicare Easyclaim
There are two types of claims that can be submitted using Medicare Easyclaim:
Patient Claims (which can be either Fully Paid, Part Paid or Unpaid).
Bulk Bill Claims.
Medicare Easyclaim is a free service that can be accessed through the existing HICAPS and Tyro integration. If you use Medicare Easyclaim through your terminal without integration, some manual data entry is required to claim.
In terms of efficiency and features, Medicare Easyclaim is a lesser product compared to Medicare Online Claiming. Submitting claims through this method only acknowledges that the claims were received, and doesn’t provide any easy method for reconciliation or assigning payments.
If you already have a compatible terminal integrated with the Front Desk software, Medicare Easyclaim can be enabled from the Advanced tab of System Information, as shown below:
Pros
No additional costs.
Medicare rebates are paid on the same day.
Cons
DVA claiming not supported.
No integrated reporting – Cannot be easily reconciled.
Payments need to be entered manually for each patient.
Submitting claims takes longer – Less efficient.
No patient verification option.
Medicare & DVA Online Claiming
Medicare Online allows claims to be submitted through the Front Desk software via the internet. Medicare Online supports both ‘Patient Claiming’ and ‘Bulk Bill’, as well as support for ‘DVA Online Claiming’. DVA online claiming is particularly useful as payments are typically received into your bank account within one business day as opposed to weeks when processed manually. The time needed to manually fill a DVA voucher and mailing through regular post is also removed.
The process to submit claims online is much faster, and can be completed during the billing process within seconds. The submitted claims are paid between one to three business days, but it is common to receive payment within the first 24 hours. The integrated claim processing features can then be used to automatically reconcile payments to the appropriate patient files, and assist in handling failed claims if needed.
Medicare & DVA Online claiming is available at a once-off cost of $195 (GST inc), which also includes the initial installation of the software on up to two computers and a one hour training session with our staff. A small increase of $163 (GST inc) per year to your Extended Care Plan is also applicable due to the additional support required.
Pros
Supports DVA Online Claiming.
Medicare/DVA card not required.
Automatic allocation of payments.
Medicare/DVA financial Reporting and Claim error reporting.
Fast and easy claiming.
Verification option to confirm patient details prior to submitting a claim.
Advanced Medicare/DVA features at a small cost.
There are benefits to both claiming options, however our clear recommendation is the Medicare Online Claiming system for users with regular Medicare or DVA claims which offers a greater number of features and can improve the efficiency of not only submitting claims but also managing payments and reconciliation. If you only submit the occasional Medicare or DVA claim and already have a HICAPS or Tyro terminal, Medicare Easyclaim may be a suitable option.
To explore these options further, please contact the eBusiness Service Centre of Medicare Australia on 1800 700 199. Alternatively for Medicare Easyclaim you can also contact Tyro or HICAPS using the information below:
Tyro:
Tyro Customer Support: 02 8907 1717
HICAPS:
HICAPS Support: 1800 80 57 80
Related links:
Tyro – Easyclaim portal
HICAPS – Medicare information page
Medicare Australia – Easyclaim information