By knowing what a patient owes and securing payment at the time of service, physicians can streamline billing procedures, lower collection costs and accelerate cash flow. Patients can authorize payment immediately and avoid sending checks through the mail. Studies show that health care providers collect only about 50 percent of their charges from patients who leave the office without paying.

Franz Ritucci, M.D., AAUCM president, said, “The AAUCM continually seeks out companies that provide valuable products and services tailored to the specific needs of urgent care. We are pleased to have developed this relationship with A-Claim. AAUCM members now have discounted access to A-Claim’s medical payment solutions, giving them the opportunity to utilize A-Claim’s valuable services in their practices.”

A-Claim’s patent-pending technology works with all major insurance plans and any medical office’s practice management or EMR system. It is available for a low monthly subscription fee and minimal transaction charges.

“A-Claim allows the office staff to simply swipe a patient’s insurance card to verify immediately whether the patient is eligible for insurance benefits and to determine the amount of any copayment, coinsurance or unmet deductible the patient will owe,” said Mary Dees Griffith, president of PHT. “This is more important than ever as more patients switch to high-deductible insurance plans and pay more out of pocket for medical services.

“We are pleased that the AAUCM has recognized the benefits A-Claim offers its members and their patients. We look forward to helping members receive accurate and timely payments for the services they provide.”

About PHT
Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transaction-processing services to the health care industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest health care insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

About the AAUCM
The AAUCM represents physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who practice urgent care medicine in various clinical settings throughout the United States. The AAUCM’s purpose is to contribute to the field of urgent care medicine in the areas of professional growth, scientific and medical research, and medical education, all to improve the overall quality of medical care.

While more and more patients become responsible for higher deductibles and copayments through their insurance plans, physicians often struggle to secure a patient's portion of a medical payment in a timely manner. But the latest advancements in technology are making it easier for physicians to receive payments for their services, and making the payment process more convenient for patients at the same time.

Preferred Health Technology's innovative A-Claim ™ medical payment solution allows physicians and other health care providers to dramatically increase collections and reduce costs by simply and securely verifying insurance eligibility, adjudicating claims, and processing credit, debit or prepaid cards and checks for payment at the time of service, before a patient leaves the hospital or office.

The process is simple. Patients swipe their insurance card at the time of service, and the medical practice or hospital receives a detailed response in a matter of seconds. The response includes instant insurance eligibility verification with all major insurance companies, as well as patient payment responsibility, including in-network or out-of-network information, co-pay amounts, annual deductible information and more. Patients can then swipe their preferred credit card, debit card or check to automatically settle their financial responsibility when their insurer determines the final amount. At the medical facility's discretion, patients can establish a payment plan for costs that exceed their immediate ability in which to pay.

"Healthcare providers save time and money on billing and collections, and patients appreciate the convenience," says Preferred Health Technology President and COO, Mary F. Dees. "Physicians struggle to collect patient receivables once a patient leaves the office, so A-Claim has become an important revenue cycle management tool for many medical practices."

The five-minute feature, which educates viewers on this new technology, includes interviews with Dees, as well as patients and members of the medical community.

To learn more about Preferred Health Technology and A-Claim ™ please visit www.a-claim.com.

About PHT

Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transactionprocessing services for the health care industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest health care insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

A-Claim, developed by Preferred Health Technology Inc. (PHT) of Carrollton, Texas, lowers collection costs and improves cash flow for medical practices and hospitals by providing up-to-date information on each patient's insurance eligibility, unmet deductible and co-payment responsibilities. A-Claim also provides secure credit card and check processing at the point of service, eliminating the need for staff to send bills through the mail.

"As OCMA continues to expand the value-added products and services offered to members, A-Claim is a perfect fit in the toolbox of medical practice management solutions," said Michael B. Hurwitz, M.D., president of OCMA. "I encourage members to carefully evaluate their line of services."

PHT's proprietary and innovative A-Claim swipe-card system ( www.A-Claim.com) enables health care providers to obtain real-time information on patients' co-pay amounts and deductibles, adjudicate claims, and accept credit, debit or prepaid cards and checks for payment at the time of service, before a patient leaves the hospital or office. By making a payment arrangement before the patient leaves the office, providers can increase the efficiency of their billing process and improve overall collections and cash flow. The system offers patients payment choices and allows them to authorize future payment of outstanding bills, reducing the need to write and mail checks and helping them better manage medical expenses.

About PHT
Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transaction-processing services for the health care industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest health care insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

MGMA launched its Project SwipeIT (www.SwipeIT.org) initiative in January to encourage government and private insurance plans to issue standardized member identification cards that contain a magnetic stripe with machine-readable information. MGMA says clerical errors and inefficiencies caused by non-standardized cards and those without magnetic stripes cost healthcare providers $2.2 billion annually.

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Riley will be responsible for nationwide sales of PHT's innovative payment solution for the medical industry known as A-Claim™ (www.A-Claim.com). The system allows healthcare providers to dramatically increase collections and reduce costs by simply and securely verifying insurance eligibility, adjudicating claims, and processing credit, debit or prepaid cards and checks for payment at the time of service, before a patient leaves the hospital or office.

Riley has worked with a range of companies involved in electronic payments processing, including financial institutions, software suppliers, payment processors and independent sales organizations (ISOs). Most recently, he was executive vice president at Sterling Payment Technologies in Tampa, Fla., and a member of Sterling's board of directors. At Sterling, Riley instituted an in-house merchant settlement processing system for Visa and MasterCard, as well as a direct processing relationship for Discover cards.

Prior to joining Sterling, Riley spent seven years at Chase Paymentech, the largest payment processor in the industry. As group manager of third-party sales and support, he directed development of new third-party sales channels for the organization, including ISOs and agent banks, and managed existing third-party relationships.

"We are excited to have someone with Sean's background and experience head up the business development efforts for PHT," said Mary F. Dees, PHT's president and COO. "His expertise will be instrumental in furthering our goal to solve the patient payment problems for healthcare providers nationwide."

PHT's proprietary A-Claim technology system has revolutionized billing and collection of patient payments for many physicians and hospitals across the country. A-Claim, which is available for a low monthly subscription fee and minimal transaction charges, processes information from patient insurance cards, as well as from debit and credit cards, so that healthcare providers can secure accurate payments from patients at the point of service, instead of mailing bills to patients weeks after rendering a service.

A-Claim works with all major insurance plans. Real-time claims adjudication is available with some plans.

About PHT
Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transaction-processing services for the healthcare industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest healthcare insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

Along with the endorsement, the IPMA signed a three-year agreement with Preferred Health Technology (PHT) that includes discounts on A-Claim for all IPMA members.

"IPMA constantly is looking for programs that we feel will help our members more easily run their practices," said Dr. Randy Cooper, IPMA president.

PHT's proprietary and innovative A-Claim technology system (www.A-Claim.com) enables healthcare providers to simply and securely verify insurance eligibility, adjudicate claims, and accept credit, debit or prepaid cards and checks for payment at the time of service, before a patient leaves the hospital or office.

By making a payment arrangement before the patient leaves the hospital or doctor's office, providers can increase the efficiency of their billing process and improve overall collections and cash flow. The system offers patients payment choices and allows them to authorize future payment of outstanding bills, reducing the need to write and mail checks and helping them better manage medical expenses.

A-Claim, available to physicians and hospitals for a low monthly subscription fee and minimal transaction charges, works with all major insurance plans. Real-time claims adjudication is available with some plans.

"We are extremely pleased to have the backing of the IPMA for our A-Claim product as a way for IPMA members to reduce their patient accounts receivable," said Mary F. Dees, PHT's president and COO. "Healthcare providers struggle to collect patient receivables once a patient leaves the office, so A-Claim has become an important revenue cycle management tool for many medical practices."

About PHT
Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transaction-processing services for the healthcare industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest healthcare insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

About the IPMA
The IPMA is a voluntary professional association that was organized in 1926 for the purpose of improving the standards of the podiatric medical profession; cultivating the various arts and sciences of podiatric medicine; and encouraging continued education of practicing podiatrists. It serves as the voice of the profession in the Indiana Legislature, and serves as a valuable resource for consumer information on the nature of podiatry, the importance of good foot health, and the availability of quality podiatric care.