FAQ's
How long has MSN been in business?
MSN was founded in 1996 by Bo Trotter whose experience in radiology practice management and billing dates to 1976. As the practice administrator of a 24-physician radiology group in Columbus, Georgia, one of Bo's responsibilities was the groups billing and accounts receivable management. MSN was founded as the result of other groups seeking Bo's services in the realm of practice management, billing and accounts receivable management services. In 1990, the local anesthesiology group approached him about their billing and MSN was founded as the result of other groups doing likewise. Today the company has grown to over 120 clients and 250 employees.
How is MSN different from traditional "billing" companies?
MSN was founded and is currently owned and managed by "in-the-trenches" medical business managers. This not only provides the organization with extensive in-depth knowledge and experience of how an effective medical business office should operate, but also provides a wealth of resources for the overall business of the practice. No other company can match the talent and experience that MSN brings to the table in support of its physicians. MSN is extremely proactive throughout its operations. Coding is a good example; MSN conducts internal and external coding audits ongoing; in addition, MSN retains outside consultants to audit client coding annually. MSN is a private company, which means that MSN's sole focus is the business of its physicians. MSN is not subject to juggling shareholder demands such as percent growth goals and higher stock price against physicians' demands for more accountability and increased revenues.
How does MSN estimate it's fee?
MSN estimates a billing fee based on each practice's scope of work. Critical areas to consider in proposing a fee include payer mix; electronic interfaces; mix of modalities, and physician coding. MSN offers a billing evaluation, at no charge to the practice, to allow for an educated, data-based proposal at the front-end. MSN views the billing fee as the resources physicians are willing to allocate for the collection of their revenues. Although MSN may not always be the cheapest option, experience shows that the difference is more than made up for in the bottom line results achieved.
Does MSN charge a start-up fee?
No. MSN's billing fee is comprehensive and includes all start-up activities.
Does MSN set up an office for my practice?
It depends! Several staffing options are available to Clients, including:
- A fully-staffed office on-site with connectivity to an existing MSN office;
- A smaller office on-site with one or two employees who provide on-site support to an established MSN office;
- One contracted employee who is paid a nominal monthly fee for limited on-site support;
- All billing and accounts receivable management functions are handled in an established MSN billing office with trained, experienced billing personnel
Does MSN provide physician coding support?
Yes. MSN is extremely proactive in auditing physician coding. MSN Senior Managers have been instrumental in founding the Radiology Coding Certification Board (RCCB) and currently serve this organization on its Board of Directors. MSN educates its physicians regularly about coding issues and changes in rules and regulations. MSN has written a Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edit program that rejects incorrectly coded claims, prior to submission. Incorrectly coded claims are rejected and manually corrected by certified coders, thus avoiding costly denial processes. Recognized industry consultants are retained to conduct annual client audits. MSN has trained, experienced coders who support MSN's "satellite" offices. In addition, on-site employees who are responsible for coding receive substantial training and benefit from ongoing audits, both from within the organization and from external auditors. MSN personnel attend coding seminars regularly to keep abreast of the latest changes and updates.
Does MSN provide help and support in negotiating managed care contracts?
Absolutely. There is a substantial correlation between the contracts negotiated and the practice's business and we firmly believe that, at a minimum, MSN should be advising the practice about prospective contracts. In addition, for a successful negotiation, practices need information about:
- the potential impact of a particular contract;
- anticipated volume and if current business is compromised;
- anticipated impact of a particular fee schedule; etc. If a practice would like support at the negotiating table or would like MSN to serve as its representative, we are certainly available in this capacity as well.
Does MSN provide credentialing services and are these on-site?
Yes, MSN provides a full scope of physician credentialing services.
Does MSN's system edit payments? Is information about payments by payer available routinely?
Yes. If a payer has not paid according to a negotiated schedule, the system does not allow the payment to be posted until it is manually reconciled. Detailed reports showing payments by payer are routine and provided during the monthly business review with the physicians and on demand, as needed.
Are there up-front capital costs to my practice for hardware and software installation?
No. MSN installs all equipment and software as a part of its "Services Agreement" with a practice. In addition, all upgrades, building of electronic interfaces, and enhancements are provided at no additional charge to the practice.
Will I work and confer with senior management on a regular basis?
Yes, our Clients meet with senior management monthly and more frequently upon request. These meetings focus on billing performance, identified areas for improvement, physician documentation feedback and advice on topics relevant to the physicians, for example the reduction in the physician work RVUs and its impact on Medicare payments.
What billing software does MSN use?
MSN has invested in a state-of-the-art billing system through Inspiration Technologies, Inc. (ITI) called Imagine. Imagine is truly a "next generation" billing system that has been designed specifically for high-volume specialties and incorporates technologies that are typically available only available as "add-on" modules. The software utilizes distributed work lists to easily automate and manage workflow. It also allows for real-time management reporting and monitoring quickly, easily, and on-demand. MSN, with its vast experience in medical billing, has established a close working relationship with ITI on the continued development and enhancement of the Imagine software.
Does MSN provide a standard package of reports? What about custom reports?
MSN produces a "standard" set of reports that can be customized per the Client's request. The purpose of this set of reports is to provide the radiologists with a summary of their business according to:
- Accounts by pay class that are outstanding in the accounts receivable
- Three-year trending, by month, of procedures (volume), charges, payments, charge adjustments, and refunds;
- Charges, payments, and procedures by site of service/location
- Summary of charge adjustments and write-offs
- Charges, procedures, and payments by modality, month-to-date and year-to-date
- Charges, payments and adjustments by payer class, month-to-date and year-to-date MSN's billing software, Imagine, also allows for an unlimited number of reports through several reporting tools and formats (any of which can be exported into an Excel or text file).
The MSN Difference
Discover the 10 areas that help MSN achieve extraordinary results and that separate us from the competition. 
What Our Clients Say
"The decision to close our office and outsource billing was difficult, but inevitable with the retirement of our long-standing office manager. Our group spent considerable time interviewing and researching possible candidates, before settling on MSN to handle out billing needs. We are now one year into this venture and I can confidently state that we made the right decision. Their IT expertise made the transition seamless. Billing collections, data analysis and customer service have all met or exceeded our expectations. It is comforting that they are only a phone call away should any question or issue arise. I am sure this will be a lasting partnership because of their professional and personable handling of our account"
Dr. Reed Bumgarner
President
Western Colorado Radiologic Associates
Grand Junction, CO
Contact Sales
Questions about MSN? Contact one of our consultants.
Terry Corgan
Phone: 704-844-6467 Email: sales@msnllc.com
Barbara Rubel
Phone: 770-431-9783 Email: sales@msnllc.com
Rick Conklin
Phone: 316-612-0556 Email: sales@msnllc.com
Deborah MacFarlane
Phone: 949-378-8308
Email: sales@msnllc.com
Chris Heimerl
Phone: (303) 809-3210
Access MSN Portal
The MSN Portal is a digital tool created to help our clients reach optimal efficiencies in reporting. Login Here.