There’s more to running a medical practice than providing patient care – understanding the business of medicine is complicated but essential.
Understanding payments received
Reconciling MSI payments can be difficult, but there are ways to access payment statements to help determine whether payments have been processed. The methods vary based on payment model type.
Non-fee-for-service payments
Every physician has access to MSI eLink to view their payment statements. Physicians use their six-digit provider number as their username. The first time a physician logs in, they are issued a temporary password, which must be changed before they can access their statements.
The temporary password must be changed to a new, complex password. The new password must be 14 to 20 characters long and include an upper- and lower-case letter, a number and a special character (such as $ or *).
After logging in, go to the “Downloads” tab at the top right of the screen to access statements. Physicians may also need to select a date at the top to view previous statements.
Can’t find the temporary password or need help? Contact the MSI Provider Coordinator Department or 902-496-7011 (choose Option 1, then Option 1 again) for assistance with logging in, password resets and more.
Payment statements are divided into separate statements for each business arrangement number. Please note that the statements only indicate the total being deposited under the business arrangement number. For details on claims submitted to support this payment, please request these details from the software vendor.
Fee-for-service payments
Physicians paid via fee-for-service payment model may request their MSI payment statements and detailed claim submission statements from their software vendor.
LFM guide
Doctors Nova Scotia worked with family physicians Drs. Alison Wellwood and Ben Sabine to create a guide to the LFM payment model, A New Path Forward: Making the Longitudinal Family Medicine payment model work for you. Learn whether the model is right for you, discover how to apply and get set up, and delve into the details on what's included and excluded in the model, reporting requirements, and the particulars of patient panels, service encounters and business arrangement numbers.
Discharging a patient
If, for whatever reason, a physician is considering discharging a patient from their roster, they must ensure they meet their professional obligations. Download this guide to understand these obligations outlined by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS) standards, “Ending the Physician-Patient Relationship” and “Reducing the Size of a Medical Practice.”
Billing information
Ensuring that you are billing properly for the medical services you provide is essential to receiving appropriate remuneration. It’s important to be familiar with the MSI Physician’s Manual and to be signed up to receive MSI Physician's Bulletin updates by email.
Subscribe and review new MSI Physicians’ Bulletins, which provide updates on changes to billing rules and fee values. Search the 2014-present bulletins for key words related to fee codes. Open the document (click here), then:
On your keyboard:
-Click <Ctrl+F> to reveal the search box
-Type a key word or phrase into the search box and press enter
Please note: Physicians are responsible for all their claims, even when those claims are entered by someone else, such as billing staff. MSI is the ultimate authority on physician billing. If you have questions about billing, email MSI and save the response for audit purposes.
Billing Education
MSI offers billing education, watch for information about upcoming sessions in DNS communications. On demand recordings are available online from the MSI website.
Closing a practice toolkit
*Note: Since this toolkit was developed, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia has expanded the notification timeline for physicians to indicate they intend to close their practice. The new timeline has changed from three months to six months notice. We are in discussions with the College about the change in the standard.
Choosing to close your medical practice is a big decision, and it comes with a to-do list that can be just as daunting. Whether you’re retiring, relocating or changing careers, there are lots of details to take care of to ensure your patients and their personal health information are taken care of appropriately. Download and use this guide to help make the transition as smooth as possible. Watch this video for the highlights.