When you have a medical office, billing is essential. Not many offices can go for extended periods of time without getting paid. Therefore, billing staff is critical to ensuring the patients receive timely and accurate bills. Check out these three ways you can maximize your medical billing staff.
#1 – Utilize a Billing Company
You can reduce your staff by using an external billing company. This is an excellent option if you are falling behind on your billing or cannot keep up with changing rules and regulations. However, considering a third-party orthopedic medical billing company is still a great option even if you are not behind. A third-party company can follow up with the insurance companies, mail statements, and manage bills.
#2 – Pay Attention to the Details
If you want to keep your orthopedic medical billing in-house, you want staff to pay attention to the details for submitting claims. When the claims are not filed correctly, payment will not be made. Therefore, all the codes and requirements must be followed. If the coding does not match the diagnosis or treatment provided, the insurance company will deny the claim. Electronic health records can help your staff track the details of appointments with patients. More than 95% of hospitals and 60% of doctor’s offices track the services provided to patients by using electronic health records.
#3 – Fully Understand Billing
Billing and collections for orthopedic medical billing can be overwhelming and intimidating. However, your staff needs to understand the entire process. This process begins when the patient is registered. It continues through verifying eligibility, insurance, and includes collecting payment from the patient. It is essential to collect payment at the time of service. The codes used for insurance purposes are taken from the notes the doctor creates during the appointment. These notes are transcribed into a medical script. The codes are uploaded into software that sends it to the insurance company for acceptance or rejection. This provides information to the insurance company that helps them decide if and how much to pay.
These three tips can help your orthopedic medical billing process run much more smoothly. This ensures you receive your payments on time from both the patient and the insurance company.
