Introduction

Medicare claims submission requires accuracy and efficiency, especially when working with complex forms like the UB-04. To support healthcare providers, Novitas Solutions developed the UB-04 Form Locator Code Lookup Tool, simplifying the process of identifying key billing codes.

My role involved working within an Agile team alongside other designers and developers to write aspects of the code, test to ensure the tool was user-friendly, accessible, and compliant with federal standards, 508 compliance and adhered to HIPAA guidelines.

Overview of the Tool

The UB-04 Lookup Tool helps providers:

• Quickly find code definitions for UB-04 form fields, such as Type of Bill and Condition Codes.
• Streamline their workflow by centralizing relevant codes on an interactive platform.
• Reduce billing errors and improve claims submission accuracy.

My Contributions

1. Coding for Functionality

• Translated the provided mockup into a fully functional tool using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Developed interactive dropdown menus, search functionality, and dynamic data displays to enhance usability.

2. Collaboration with the Designer

• Worked closely with the designer to align functionality with the intended user experience.
• Ensured the final implementation adhered to visual and branding guidelines.

3. Testing and Optimization

• Conducted functionality tests to ensure seamless interactions.
• Addressed user feedback to refine performance and usability.

4. Compliance Assurance

• Integrated 508/WCAG-compliant features to ensure accessibility for all users.

Features and Functionality

• Interactive Dropdown Menus: Enabled users to explore code categories easily.
• Search Capability: Implemented a responsive search bar to filter codes by keyword or identifier.
• Dynamic Data Display: Created paginated tables to handle large datasets efficiently.

Introduction

Navigating complex Medicare policies and processes can be overwhelming for healthcare providers. To address these challenges, Novitas Solutions developed three interactive tools—FastTrack to Medicare Policies and Coverage, New Provider Roadmap, and Avoid the Wait. These tools aimed to improve accessibility, efficiency, and user experience by visually guiding providers to critical resources.

Purpose

The goal was to design intuitive, visually engaging tools to reduce navigation complexity, increase efficiency, and enhance provider satisfaction.

My Contributions

1. Coding Functional Interactivity

I implemented the core functionality for all tools using SVG files and HTML/CSS/JavaScript, ensuring alignment between clickable areas and the designer’s visual mockups. The use of XY axis precision was critical, as the clickable regions (rectangles and icons) had to match exactly with their corresponding graphical elements across various screen sizes and resolutions.

2. Improved User Interaction

While the original suggestion was to place URL links below icons, I opted to make the icons themselves clickable, creating a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. I ensured accurate alignment of SVG coordinates for icons and interactive elements, dynamically adapting to screen variations.

3. Compliance and Testing

I conducted rigorous testing to ensure that clickable areas functioned correctly on all devices and screen resolutions. Additionally, I integrated 508/WCAG accessibility standards, ensuring compliance with federal regulations.

Challenges and Solutions

• Aligning Clickable Regions with the Visual Design: Used precise XY axis mapping in SVG files to ensure accurate positioning of icons and links across varying screen sizes.
• Ensuring Cross-Browser Compatibility and Responsiveness: Implemented modular, standards-compliant code and tested extensively on different browsers and devices.

Features and Functionality

1. FastTrack to Medicare Policies and Coverage

This visual roadmap guided providers to policies like NCDs and LCDs and included clickable paths to key resources, reducing search time.

2. New Provider Roadmap

A step-by-step visual guide for enrollment, billing, claims, and appeals. Centralized access to resources simplified navigation for new providers.

3. Avoid the Wait

An interactive map encouraging self-service options for common tasks. Reduced delays by directing users to relevant tools and processes.

Project Objective

To develop intuitive and user-friendly tools for Medicare providers to assist with appeals, liability calculations, and claims processing, ensuring compliance with federal healthcare guidelines.

Overview

Working on behalf of Novitas Solutions, a Medicare Administrative Contractor under HHS CMS, I designed and implemented interactive calculator tools tailored to address critical pain points for healthcare providers. The tools included:

• Appeals Timeliness Calculators: For filing appeals across three levels.
• Secondary Liability Calculator: Simplifying liability determinations.
• Psychiatric Service Reduction Calculator: Ensuring accurate service adjustments.

Key Challenges

• Creating calculators that handle complex Medicare rules and guidelines.
• Designing intuitive user interfaces for a diverse audience, including healthcare providers unfamiliar with digital tools.
• Coding responsive and interactive functionalities for seamless user interaction.

Solutions Delivered

• Conducted thorough research to understand user workflows and compliance requirements.
• Developed tools using clean and efficient code, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including designers and stakeholders, to align functionality with visual design.

Project Objective

Designed and maintained performance monitoring system for federal customer satisfaction survey platform, ensuring compliance with contractual 98% system availability requirements.

Overview

As Technical Platform Consultant for Qualtrics survey system supporting DoD operations, I developed reporting frameworks for tracking system performance and availability. Deliverables included monthly compliance reports, performance metrics analysis, and system health monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Platform performance monitoring and reporting
• System availability tracking and SLA compliance
• Monthly deliverable production
• Data accuracy and quality assurance
• Technical documentation

Technologies Used

• Qualtrics Enterprise Platform
• Microsoft Excel (Advanced formulas and automation)
• Data visualization and reporting tools