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Write You - The 9 Biggest Mistakes Every Medical Billing Office Should Avoid
Some people are workers and are happy being told what to do and get paid from their steady job. Example is being a server, construction worker, sub-contractors, landscpers, hairstylist, etc. Professionals who are content to being in a routinized environment day in and day out. There are people who are supervisors. Supervisors in which they chose to supervise their chosen profession in return for salary. These are your workers who have advanced into providing employers the eyes and ears of their company. Most of these people are loyal and long employees who knows their job so well that
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries
Continuation of Six Figure Success, part one. Steps five through eight.5. Surround yourself with excellence.Find resources that empower you, including coaches and mastermind teams. Peak performers will tell you over and over again that they achieve their biggest successes with the support and encouragement of the people they're surrounding themselves with.Develop and increase your expertise in all aspects of business management including planning, financials, marketing, customer service and sales. People tend to focus on what they do best. Consultants consult. However, at
The biggest mistake I have experienced in over 15 years as the owner of a successful medical billing service, is the almost blind assumption by some physicians that their office manager ,”walks on water” and that billing staffers work hard and truly care about the practice. Assume the contrary or at a minimum look upon your staff with guarded optimism and you'll make a lot more money!
The second biggest mistake made by physicians is not taking a closer look at exactly what is being written off and why!
1. Always get a copy of the front and back of the patient's insurance card even if they're an existing patient. Never assume on follow-up visits that the patient is still covered under the same insurance plan. Make it a policy to assume they've changed insurances. Patients change insurance coverage all the time. Copying the insurance card will save you thousands of dollars per year and ultimately save, not cost your staff valuable time. Tracking patients down for missing information after the claim has already been filed is one of the most tedious and time-consuming tasks facing your billing office. Every time an initial claim goes out incorrectly you run the risk of a not being paid.
2. Verify benefits! Patients go in and out of coverage all the time. Their plans, in terms of deductibles and co-pays change all the time. Obviously the preauthorization process is quite time-consuming. It is not necessary to verify benefits in every circumstance such as follow-up care but I would recommend that you develop a reasonable policy and establish a timeframe for your verification of benefits process.
3. Post your e-mail address throughout your office. You probably won't have time to respond personally. But Read Them All! Have your IP professional program your e-mail client with a nicely crafted auto response. You'll be amazed at the valuable insight gained from reading the e-mails not to mention the positive impact it will have on your staff by ,” keeping them on their toes.”
4. Always obtain a second form of ID such as a driver's license from the patient. This information is very important especially if later on you experience collection problems. It's always best to assume that you will have future collection issues.
5. Always ask for the patient's work telephone number, cellular phone, pager and a relative's telephone number. This should be built into the encounter form. If the patient leaves it blank your staff should ask for additional phone numbers. This will also play a crucial role in the collection process later on. I cannot emphasize this fact enough. Plan for future collection and revenue related problems.
6. Always obtain authorization when necessary! Lack of authorization is probably the most commonly missed element in the billing process and it’s a real income killer as well. Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult on your staff. Contact your provider service representative if you feel the carriers are taking advantage of the situation. Insurance companies are particularly notorious for denying," procedures" when performed on the same day as a consult or office visit. Many carriers expect a separate authorization number for procedures/injections performed on the same day as the office visit. Make sure your staff is familiar with which carriers require separate authorizations for procedures performed on the same day as the office visit.
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries
There are a multitude of advertising options on the Internet. Finding the one that's right for your needs can be a challenge.Before choosing a company to help with your online advertising, you should think about what it is you're really trying to accomplish, and what you really need from that company. Your options can range from running a simple classified ad on Craigslist, to contracting with a major agency for a complete online marketing program and website redesign.The first thing you need to decide is whether your online advertisement will run long-
1. Always get a copy of the front and back of the patient's insurance card even if they're an existing patient. Never assume on follow-up visits that the patient is still covered under the same insurance plan. Make it a policy to assume they've changed insurances. Patients change insurance coverage all the time. Copying the insurance card will save you thousands of dollars per year and ultimately save, not cost your staff valuable time. Tracking patients down for missing information after the claim has already been filed is one of the most tedious and time-consuming tasks facing your billing office. Every time an initial claim goes out incorrectly you run the risk of a not being paid.
2. Verify benefits! Patients go in and out of coverage all the time. Their plans, in terms of deductibles and co-pays change all the time. Obviously the preauthorization process is quite time-consuming. It is not necessary to verify benefits in every circumstance such as follow-up care but I would recommend that you develop a reasonable policy and establish a timeframe for your verification of benefits process.
3. Post your e-mail address throughout your office. You probably won't have time to respond personally. But Read Them All! Have your IP professional program your e-mail client with a nicely crafted auto response. You'll be amazed at the valuable insight gained from reading the e-mails not to mention the positive impact it will have on your staff by ,” keeping them on their toes.”
4. Always obtain a second form of ID such as a driver's license from the patient. This information is very important especially if later on you experience collection problems. It's always best to assume that you will have future collection issues.
5. Always ask for the patient's work telephone number, cellular phone, pager and a relative's telephone number. This should be built into the encounter form. If the patient leaves it blank your staff should ask for additional phone numbers. This will also play a crucial role in the collection process later on. I cannot emphasize this fact enough. Plan for future collection and revenue related problems.
6. Always obtain authorization when necessary! Lack of authorization is probably the most commonly missed element in the billing process and it’s a real income killer as well. Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult on your staff. Contact your provider service representative if you feel the carriers are taking advantage of the situation. Insurance companies are particularly notorious for denying," procedures" when performed on the same day as a consult or office visit. Many carriers expect a separate authorization number for procedures/injections performed on the same day as the office visit. Make sure your staff is familiar with which carriers require separate authorizations for procedures performed on the same day as the office visit.
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries
You may not quite know it, but the limited liability corporation (others also call it a limited liability company) has become the most popular form for organizing business and investment activities. There are many benefits to be derived from a limited liability corporation.For instance, if you are a doctor, lawyer or some other professional and you want to protect your assets from malpractice suits and other claims, you can organize a limited liability corporation for that purpose. You can transfer your personal investment portfolio into the limited liability corporation to better prot
3. Post your e-mail address throughout your office. You probably won't have time to respond personally. But Read Them All! Have your IP professional program your e-mail client with a nicely crafted auto response. You'll be amazed at the valuable insight gained from reading the e-mails not to mention the positive impact it will have on your staff by ,” keeping them on their toes.”
4. Always obtain a second form of ID such as a driver's license from the patient. This information is very important especially if later on you experience collection problems. It's always best to assume that you will have future collection issues.
5. Always ask for the patient's work telephone number, cellular phone, pager and a relative's telephone number. This should be built into the encounter form. If the patient leaves it blank your staff should ask for additional phone numbers. This will also play a crucial role in the collection process later on. I cannot emphasize this fact enough. Plan for future collection and revenue related problems.
6. Always obtain authorization when necessary! Lack of authorization is probably the most commonly missed element in the billing process and it’s a real income killer as well. Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult on your staff. Contact your provider service representative if you feel the carriers are taking advantage of the situation. Insurance companies are particularly notorious for denying," procedures" when performed on the same day as a consult or office visit. Many carriers expect a separate authorization number for procedures/injections performed on the same day as the office visit. Make sure your staff is familiar with which carriers require separate authorizations for procedures performed on the same day as the office visit.
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries
Although both Six Sigma and Lean Flow have their roots in manufacturing, it works just as effectively in service industries. Much of the U.S. economy is now based on services rather than manufacturing and many service organization managers are wondering how they can achieve the tremendous process improvement benefits of Lean Six Sigma to their service organization. Many service organizations have already begun to blend the higher quality of Six Sigma with the efficiency of Lean into Lean Six Sigma. The effects have been significant and long-lasting.Service organizations have different
5. Always ask for the patient's work telephone number, cellular phone, pager and a relative's telephone number. This should be built into the encounter form. If the patient leaves it blank your staff should ask for additional phone numbers. This will also play a crucial role in the collection process later on. I cannot emphasize this fact enough. Plan for future collection and revenue related problems.
6. Always obtain authorization when necessary! Lack of authorization is probably the most commonly missed element in the billing process and it’s a real income killer as well. Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult on your staff. Contact your provider service representative if you feel the carriers are taking advantage of the situation. Insurance companies are particularly notorious for denying," procedures" when performed on the same day as a consult or office visit. Many carriers expect a separate authorization number for procedures/injections performed on the same day as the office visit. Make sure your staff is familiar with which carriers require separate authorizations for procedures performed on the same day as the office visit.
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries
From Bank of America to your local Corner Store, taping in to the growing Hispanic market is becoming more important every day to improve their Bottom Line. With the rapid growth of the Hispanic population, (Hispanics accounted for about half the growth in the U.S. population since 2000), NOT knowing Spanish can actually be a liability to your business.In the past, the only reason to learn Spanish was to get “Comida” and a “Cerveza” during a trip to Mexico or to show off while ordering food at a Mexican Restaurant, but that has changed drastically. In some cities in the US, the Hispani
7. Collect co-pays and deductibles at the time of service.
8. Secure sign Advanced Beneficiary Notice where indicated
9. Is the injury related to work or other type of accident? Many patients seeking medical services especially in the area of orthopedics and pain management have multiple injuries and are being treated for their injuries simultaneously. It is not uncommon for physicians to treat one part of the body which is work related and another from an automobile accident which is a completely separate situation. Your encounter form should have adequate fields for accident details.
I have yet to see a physician's medical billing office get this correct 100% of the time. I have a pain management practice that saved over $100,000 last year just by properly implementing step six.
Written by David Duncan President and founder of Medi-Bill Inc.
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