Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Mail and Shipping
Medical assistant (MA) processes incoming and outgoing mail daily Most outgoing mail is sent via the U.S. Postal System What are examples of items sent by mail from the medical office? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. Postal System Independent agency with an official monopoly on delivery of mail Financed primarily through sale of postage Cost of postage depends mainly on speed of delivery and type of handling What is a monopoly? In general, are businesses allowed to be monopolies? Why or why not? What factors influence the cost of postage? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zip Code and Bar Code Systems
ZIP code system introduced in 1963 Facilitates use of automated equipment Mandatory for bulk mailing Expanded to ZIP + 4 in 1983 Extra 4 digits identify a specific geographic segment within the 5-digit delivery area Required for presorted and bulk mailing How does a ZIP code facilitate the use of automated postal equipment? What is the difference in the information provided by a ZIP code and a ZIP + 4? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zip Code and Bar Code Systems (Cont.)
USPS website facilitates looking up ZIP codes A postal bar code (based on the ZIP code) is printed on the envelope Must be added by sender for bulk mailing, often just below address Often added by post office to ordinary letters Post office places in barcode clear zone (blank rectangular area at the lower right of envelope) What is a postal bar code? Who adds the postal bar code to an envelope or circular? How does the postal bar code facilitate delivery of a piece of mail? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Priority Mail Express Overnight delivery even on weekends Used for letters and packages weighing up to 70 lb Postage includes insurance What are the upper and lower weight limits for Priority Mail Express? What are examples of items that might be mailed using Priority Mail Express? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Priority Mail Express? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First-Class Mail Used for letters up to 13 ounces Overnight service to local areas and second-day service nationwide Used for letters, patient statements, and paper insurance claim forms May be combined with insurance and delivery confirmation services What is the maximum weight for an item mailed using First-Class Mail? How soon will delivery be expected for an item sent by First-Class Mail? What are examples of items sent by First-Class Mail from the medical office? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Priority Mail Used for mail weighing more than 13 ounces that requires delivery within 2-3 days Set rate up to 1 lb More than 1 lb postage depends on weight and address May be combined with insurance and delivery confirmation services What is the minimum and maximum weight for an item mailed using Priority Mail? Is the rate for Priority Mail more or less than that for Priority Mail Express for an item of the same weight? How soon will delivery be expected for an item sent by Priority Mail? What are examples of items sent by Priority Mail from the medical office? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standard Post Less than urgent delivery and oversized packages 2 to 8 day delivery time The medical office rarely send items using this service, but it may receive shipments of medical or office supplies sent by Standard Post. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insurance and Delivery Confirmation Services
MA must fill out correct form(s) to purchase Cost is in addition to postage What mailings might require insurance and/or delivery confirmation services? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Certified Mail Mailing receipt is legal evidence that something was mailed Recipient must sign on delivery What are the features of Certified Mail? When is Certified Mail used for mailings from the medical office? See Figure 45-2 for a Certified Mail Receipt form. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Return Receipt Usually combined with Certified Mail to provide both proof of mailing and proof of receipt Provides sender with proof of delivery and signature of recipient Can be done with a postcard sent back to sender or through the Internet What is Return Receipt? When is Return Receipt used for mailings from the medical office? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Signature Confirmation
Provides a record of delivery, but a delivery record must be requested Not usually used in medical office What is Signature Confirmation? Why does the medical office usually send items Return Receipt instead of Signature Confirmation? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Certificate of Mailing
Provides evidence that an item was mailed Recipient does not sign What is a Certificate of Mailing? Why does the medical office usually send items by Certified Mail instead of requesting a Certificate of Mailing? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Registered Mail Tracks a letter and also provides insurance Used when contents have value and delivery must be verified What is Registered Mail? When is Registered Mail preferred to Certified Mail? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insured Mail Allows insurance to be purchased separately on the contents of any letter or package Purchased when the contents have value If lost or damaged, sender will be reimbursed for the declared value Cost is higher if a higher value is declared What is Insured Mail? How is the cost of insurance determined? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Special Handling Used for items that require special attention Used for items such as live insects or fish What is Special Handling? Is Special Handling usually used by the medical office? Why or why not? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Collect on Delivery Requires recipient to pay for the item on receipt Recipient also pays postage What is Collect on Delivery (COD)? Is Collect on Delivery usually used by the medical office? Why or why not? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postal Money Orders A way to send money through the mail Amounts up to $ What is a Postal Money Order? What is the most common way for a medical office to send money through the mail? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Other Package Delivery Services
Private carriers may be used for packages Provide continuous tracking Office pickup can be arranged Once an account has been established, payment is handled by Internet FedEx ground and UPS can be used for packages that are not time sensitive FedEx, UPS, and other carriers also provide overnight service Cost increases if overnight delivery is required Why do many businesses prefer to use private package delivery services instead of Parcel Post? What does the cost of overnight delivery service depend on? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Processing Incoming Mail
Mail may be delivered directly to the office, delivered to a mailbox, or picked up at the post office A large facility usually has a central mailroom How is mail usually delivered to the medical office? Why does a large facility usually have a central mailroom? What equipment/supplies would be found in a mailroom? See Procedure 45-1: Processing Incoming Mail. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Processing Incoming Mail (Cont.)
Mail is sorted and distributed according to physician preferences and office policy Mail addressed to an individual physician goes to that physician Mail addressed to the practice goes to the managing partner or office manager Payments from patients or insurance companies and supply companies are handled by the MA Why is it important for the medical assistant to sort the mail within a reasonable time after the mail is received? Who receives mail that is addressed to the medical practice? Who handles patient payments? See Table 45-1: Sorting Incoming Mail. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opening Mail Physician mail may be opened by MA or physician depending on preference Mail marked “personal” or “confidential” should not be opened Open mail with a letter opener and stamp with date Alphabetize mail from patients and clip to medical record Staple multiple page letters Annotate with highlighter if physician directs Why does the medical assistant usually open the mail? Why should each piece of mail be date stamped? Why would a consultation letter be clipped to the patient’s medical record? If there are several letters related to patients, how are they usually arranged? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opening Mail (Cont.) Set aside letters that MA will deal with and magazines for waiting room Distribute mail to desks of office personnel or place in mail slots When a physician is on vacation, sort his or her mail First-class letters or mail that may be urgent should be given to another physician Non-urgent mail and periodicals are arranged by date received What mail should the medical assistant set aside when first sorting the mail? What should the medical assistant do with the mail of a physician who is absent from the office for several days? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated Mail Processing
Automated equipment for processing mail is faster and more efficient Machines process letters using optical character recognition (OCR) High-volume mailers sort mail and add postal barcodes to facilitate processing Most medical offices do not qualify for discounts because at least 500 pieces must be sent in one mailing What is optical character recognition (OCR)? Why is the function of postal barcodes? Do medical offices usually receive a discount for bulk mailing? Why or why not? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Letters and Large Envelopes
Most common sizes of business envelopes are #10 (4 1/8″ × 9 ½″) or #6 3/4 (3 5/8″ × 6 ½″) Square letters and letters too thick for automated equipment require additional postage Large envelopes also require additional postage Bigger than 6 1/8″ × 11 ½″ Used for patient medical records or other documents that are too thick to fold What are the most common envelope sizes? What types of envelopes require additional postage? To be mailed as a letter, an envelope must be 3 1/2 to 6 1/8 inches in height and 5 to 11 ½ inches in length. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complete Address Should contain all elements in correct order Recommended that address be in all uppercase letters without punctuation (except hyphen in ZIP + 4) What punctuation should be used when preparing envelopes? See Procedure 45-2: Looking up a ZIP code. See Box 45-1: Specific Delivery Address Standards. See Table 45-2: Two-Letter State and Territory Abbreviations. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Address Format Address should be machine printed or hand-printed using plain block letters Black ink on a white background is preferred A typeface without serifs (e.g., Helvetica or Arial) is preferred Uniform left margin should exist What kind of typeface is preferred by the USPS for the address on an envelope? Why? How does a printed address facilitate mail delivery? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Address Format (Cont.) All lines should be parallel to the bottom of the envelope No punctuation should be used in the address except the hyphen in the ZIP+4 code Address should show through a window envelope with ¼″ of space on all sides Endorsements or delivery instructions in upper left below return address (e.g., “Confidential”) If a window envelope is used, how much white space should be visible around the address? If the envelope is marked “Personal,” where should this be indicated on the envelope? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Address Format (Cont.) Address labels should be applied securely Address should be placed in the OCR read area 5/8 inch to 2 ¾ inch from the bottom edge of the envelope with a ½ inch margin on each side Barcode free area on the bottom right of the envelope (5/8 inch high by 4 ¾ inches long) should be free of text Why are address labels often used to address envelopes? What are the dimensions of the OCR read area of a number 11 envelope? What should be placed below the OCR read area on an envelope? See Figure 45-5 to see an example of an address in the optical character recognition (OCR) read area. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Return Address Located in the upper left of the envelope Should contain sender’s name, delivery address, city, state, and ZIP Letterhead envelopes are usually preprinted Where should the return address be located? What information should be included in the return address? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparing Envelopes or Mailing Labels
Prepare and print labels or address(es) directly on envelope(s) Word processing programs have tools to prepare labels or envelopes Use the manual feed tray to print a single envelope For a large mailing, use labels or an envelope tray When is it easier for the medical assistant to print an address directly on an envelope? When is it easier for the medical assistant to print labels for envelopes? When is it easier to use window envelopes for a mailing? How should envelopes be fed into the printer if one or two envelopes will be printed? If 100 envelopes will be printed? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Folding and Inserting Letters into Envelopes
Number 10 Envelope Bring the bottom third up and make a crease Bring the top third down and make a crease Insert the second crease first into the envelope How should the medical assistant fold a letter to place it in a number 10 envelope? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Folding and Inserting Letters into Envelopes (Cont.)
Number 6¾ Envelope Fold letter in half and make a crease Fold right third in and left fold over and make creases Insert final crease first into envelope How should a medical assistant fold a letter to place it in a number 6¾ envelope? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Folding and Inserting Letters into Envelopes (Cont.)
Window Envelope Bring bottom third up and make a crease Fold top third so that inside address is on the outside and make a crease Place in envelope so that delivery address shows through the window How should a medical assistant fold a letter to place it in a window envelope? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adding Postage Postage may be added using stamps that are purchased or printed (with postage purchased online) Postage may be added using a postage meter Envelopes containing more than two sheets of paper should be weighed Amount of postage can be looked up at USPS website Why may it be cumbersome to use ordinary stamps to mail letters from the medical office? How does the medical assistant determine the amount of postage to place on a letter with more than three pages or on a large envelope? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postage Meters Postage meter automatically stamps outgoing letters with postage or prints postage on a tape strip The postage printing part of a postage meter is rented from an approved vendor What is the advantage of using a postage meter to add postage to letters? Which part of a postage meter can be purchased? Which part must be rented? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postage Meters (Cont.) Postage is purchased either by telephone, from the Internet, or at the post office Postage meters vary in complexity Simple meters only print postage Some meters also include a scale or device to seal letters in a separate base The base, which must be compatible with the postage meter, can be purchased How is postage purchased for a postage meter? Why is it desirable to purchase a postage meter that includes a scale? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Safety Precautions Read the operating guide before using the meter Do not touch any moving parts when it is in operation Keep loose clothing, jewelry, and long hair away from moving parts What are possible hazards of using a postage meter? Why is it important to keep clothing or hair away from the moving parts of a postage meter when it is in use? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Safety Precautions (Cont.)
Do not cover the ventilation system slots to prevent overheating If a paper jam occurs, wait until it has stopped and unplug the meter before clearing the jam Never attempt to disassemble the meter. Contact the service department for repairs How should the medical assistant clear a jam when using a postage meter? How can the medical assistant prevent a postage meter from overheating? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online Postage Services
Online services allow the medical office to purchase and print postage from the computer Special services can also be purchased and printed from the computer Delivery confirmation Return Receipt Insurance What is an online postage service? Why can an online postage service be a useful option for a small medical office? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online Postage Services (Cont.)
Online service may be easier if there is a small to moderate volume of mail Not as efficient as a postage meter for a large volume of first-class letters (e.g., patient statements) Which is usually preferred for a large medical facility: an online postage service or a postage meter? Why? Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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