A Resource To
Help Clinicians and Health Care Organizations
Identify Costs In Providing HIV/AIDS Care
The
Technical Assistance Costing Tool (TACT) is an Excel-based
software tool that lets providers identify how much
their services cost. It uses basic patient information
to calculate patient care expenses, providing grantees
with cost information on their clinical services that
can then be used for billing and reimbursement with
managed care organizations and other third party payors.
The
Health Resources and Services Administration
is very pleased to make this costing tool available
to HIV/AIDS providers. The TACT software is
intended for your internal use and can complement
the other tools you use in your program.
On this page:
Who can benefit from
using TACT?
HRSA HIV/AIDS Grantees and Subgrantees, as
well as other safety net providers who provide
health care services to persons living with
HIV/AIDS.
- Providers responsible for third party
billing
- Billing and Collections Staff
- Chief Financial Officers, Chief Information
Officers and
Office Managers
What questions can
TACT help you answer?
How much reimbursement would I need from
a managed care organization to cover the average
monthly costs of care for patients who are
living with HIV/AIDS?
How do I factor-in expenses such as rent,
administrative costs, and the time of volunteer
physicians into the cost of the services my
organization provides?
I’ve been providing certain lab services
and I would like to know the impact on the
overall costs of services I provide.
How do I use TACT?
It’s easy, just make a copy of the TACT
Excel and User Manual files found on this
website, install a recent version of Excel
if you don’t already have it, follow
the instructions in the User Manual –
and you’re on your way!
How do
I get copy of the Technical Assistance Costing
Tool and User Manual?
Download two files to your computer:
1. Technical
Assistance Costing Tool - Excel file
(298 KB) - Jan. 2004 revision
You need Excel software on your computer
to work with this file. Download the file
by clicking on the above link. If you are
given a choice of "Open"
or "Save", choose "Save".
Problem: You intend to save the
file, but the file opens in Internet
Explorer (or Excel). Stay in Internet Explorer
(or Excel) and click on "File"
and "Save As".
Problem: Your computer may ask if you want
to logon as "Anonymous".
Logon as "Anonymous".
Have a right mouse button?
If you have two buttons on your mouse
(a left button and a right button) there
is an easy way to download files. RIGHT
CLICK on the link to a file and choose "Save
Target As".
2. TACT
User Manual - PDF file (945 KB) -
when printed: 72 pages
Download the PDF file to your computer
and/or print it.
For the visually impaired or for those
who would like to use the manual as a web:
TACT
User Manual - formatted as a web
How do I access the
Webcast?
The Webcast is a training session on “How
To Use TACT”.
View the webcast now: TACT
Webcast
No registration or special equipment
is needed. Free RealPlayer
is required to view it.
Summary of Webcast Content
The Technical Assistance Costing Tool (TACT)
software has been developed by HRSA’s
Center for Health Services Financing and Managed
Care in cooperation with HRSA’s HIV/AIDS
Bureau in response to the needs of many HIV/AIDS
providers who would like assistance in identifying
the underlying costs of their services. The
TACT software can be used to enter basic patient
information, such as types of services provided
and expenses by category of service. The Costing
Tool calculates patient care expenses and
provides grantees with information on the
costs of their own clinical services for billing
and reimbursement with managed care organizations
and third party payers.
- Learn how to assemble and input key elements
of the costs you incur as providers of HIV/AIDS
services including patient care costs, medication
costs, and ancillary services costs.
- Learn how this information can be used
in obtaining or improving third party reimbursement
for covered services to eligible populations
Sample TACT Page:
Technical
Assistance: What if I have questions?
If you have questions on using TACT when
you’re getting started, please follow
these technical assistance triage steps:
- First, review the User Manual.
- If that’s not sufficient to answer
your question, then click here for the website
TACT Questions
and Answers.
Free RealPlayer
is required to view the TACT Archived Webcast.
Click on: TACT
Webcast
If it doesn't work, you need to download
the Free RealPlayer by Real Networks, Inc.
How to download the Free RealPlayer:
(1) Go to www.real.com
and click on "Download
RealPlayer".
(2) On the next screen, find the words
"Or
get our basic player" and
click on "Download the Free RealPlayer".
Real Networks continually changes how to
download their Free RealPlayer, the
basic player. It may differ slightly
from above.
Take your time and you will be able to do
it. Real Networks does not make it easy to
find the Free RealPlayer, the basic
player. (It is NOT a 7-day free trial;
it is NOT a 14-day free trial; it is NOT a
whatever-day free trial.) Their basic player
is free, with no time limit.
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