It’s that time of year where we are crunching numbers to build our budgets for 2005, and put financial projections on paper as a guide for the New Year. If you don't have a line item for Information Technology, now is the time to add it. Even if you don't have specific plans to upgrade your hardware or software, you may find at some point in the New Year that it will be necessary to upgrade your systems technology to improve office efficiency. One thing to keep in mind is the rapid advance of on-line features being implemented by health plan payors and administrators.  Web portal technology is used for functions such as verification of benefits, claims status, and automated authorization. This user friendly technology saves your staff time and frustration as you maneuver through the health care system. Using portal technology can even improve your turn-around time on claims payment! 
The standardization of Electronic Medical Records is also coming down the pike, so be prepared ... allow room for some I.T. dollars, even if it is under a generic line item category for "unforeseen" expenses into your budget. If you already have plans for I.T. spending, you are ahead of the game; remember to figure in estimates for things such as hardware, software, tech support, and staff training.