3 Ways To Outsource Your Billing Services Quickly

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The world of medical billing is continuously changing and will be under a great deal of stress in 2024. If your medical practice is just starting or your medical billing department struggles to keep up, it may be time to move to a billing assistant quickly.

A medical billing assistant can be instrumental in managing the billing processes of your healthcare practice. They will effortlessly fit into your daily operations and efficiently handle routine tasks, including verifying patient insurance, responding to patient inquiries, updating medical billing software, establishing patient payment plans, and more.

Communicate Clearly

If you have a medical billing team in your office, announcing a move can create a great deal of stress. If you're going to let someone go, prepare them before announcing it to the rest of your staff. Knowing the core of the job is knowing how to do the job right.

If you've been thinking about outsourcing payroll, billing, accounts receivable, or accounts payable, and someone is retiring, resigning, going part-time, or undergoing any other massive life change, now is your time to move to an outside provider.

Whenever jobs change or go away, the folks still in the office will get nervous. Gossips can gain a lot of power if you don't get on top of the information flow, so make sure that your team knows what's going on as soon as you've made a decision; you will take away the power of the rumor mill.

Also, be ready to consider other forms of outsourcing. If you've got someone doing payroll in-house, be aware that outsourcing can increase your privacy, information security and reduce tension in the office. Again, watch for significant life changes among your staff. Payroll can be quite contentious depending on the personnel, so finding a good time or reason for the switch can smooth the waters.

Choose a Billing Service with the Expertise You Need

The world of medical insurance is continuously changing and shifting on a state-by-state and company-by-company basis. There are medical billing companies in California that can support you effectively, no matter where your office is. Still, a medical billing company elsewhere may need some training to get up to speed.

Furthermore, in medical billing, understanding and using CPT insurance codes correctly is essential for healthcare providers to ensure accurate reimbursement for the services they provide. These codes play a critical role in communicating the details of medical procedures to insurance companies and facilitating the billing process. Ultimately, you should outsource to a company that understands the intricacies of efficient billing practices.

Do your best not to become a test case. You need professionals who have skills in your state and specialty. The cheapest billing service may not be a bargain if you face upset clients or a disrupted cash flow.

Discuss your concerns with others in your chosen field. Review articles produced by professional organizations to see who is advertising their billing services in your industry. You need expertise specific to your field and your insurance challenges, if applicable, so be ready to check in with your colleagues to discuss how they have handled this challenge.

Do Your Homework

Study the reports provided to you. If possible, look for a company that can give you an up-to-date dashboard of services rendered by date and the billing status. If you notice a considerable slow-down in collections, track down whatever is causing the delay and strive to stay on top of the information transfer.

Be prepared for some resistance in-house, especially if your in-house billing team will be transferred over to other work. In your medical billing services contract, carefully review what information transfers are your office’s responsibility and what needs to be done by the biller. 

If there's a spot in the information flow that's consistently breaking down, get on the phone with your sales rep and not give up until the problem is ironed out.

Once you know where the breakdown is, consider setting up a scheduled check-in with your billing services provider. Create a weekly calendar reminder that features an email between

• your billing services provider
• your in-house coordination team
• your office manager

That lets everyone know that you're monitoring this personally and striving to get things right. If you find that there is resistance from one area of the department, be ready to move people around to overcome this issue. You may also have to let people go if they are actively fighting the change.

As things get up and running with your new billing services provider, keep an ear out for any patient concerns. New billing providers may change your invoices’ format and look, which may surprise some of your older patients. If anyone has any issues with customer service, be sure you address it with your new provider.