Accurate medical billing is a vital part of the reimbursement process when it comes to healthcare. According to the folk at Find-A-Code.com, errors relating to billing and the codes used, can affect how quickly reimbursements are made. They can even result in losses for the medical provider.
Medical facilities rely on speedy reimbursements from patients, insurance companies, and government agencies, so it is particularly important that they have efficient medical coding and billing strategies in place to minimize errors and ensure correct payments are made on time. So, how can you maximize your reimbursements?
Effective Strategies for Reimbursement
The first thing that every medical practice should do is to create processes that staff must follow. Patient information must be collected as soon as possible, preferably at their initial appointment. Ideally, a copy of photographic ID will be made, and staff will verify patient information to ensure it is correct. Verification of information should be carried out at every subsequent appointment.
Your staff should have a clear discussion with patients about how they are expected to pay their bills. Inform them of their co-pay responsibilities and send out paperwork detailing how and when payments are expected. Staff should also make sure they check insurance documents and eligibility regularly to prevent any claims being denied.
When submitting claims forms, it is important that all information is correct. A checklist for staff to follow could prove instrumental when it comes to speedy reimbursements from insurance companies and government agencies. Your medical coders and billers must make sure they are using the correct codes and that the patient is covered for the procedures that are included on the claims form.
Common reasons for denied or rejected claims forms include incorrect coding, missing information, and lack of cover.
What are Rejected or Denied Claims?
Even with the best will in the world, mistakes can happen during medical coding and billing, so it is important that your staff know how to quickly deal with claims that are denied or rejected. If a claim is rejected, it is usually because there are one or more errors that must be amended before the claim can be resubmitted. If, on the other hand, the claim has been rejected, it usually means that the payer has deemed it unpayable.
Both rejected and denied claims cost the medical facility time and money, but it is more costly to deal with denied claims as they must be appealed before being resubmitted. The best way to prevent claims from being rejected or denied is to stay informed and keep up to date of any changes to medical billing rules.
If claims are sent back, they will usually be accompanied by an explanation as to why. Developing a good relationship with staff at the relevant payer means that any problems that do arise can be dealt with quicker and may help to speed up the process and prevent recurrent rejections.
Conclusion
Medical providers rely on prompt payments from patients, insurance companies, and government agencies. It is therefore important to establish clear processes for coding and billing to maximize reimbursements.
All patient data must be collected and verified, and staff must make patients aware of their responsibilities regarding payments. When submitting claims forms, it is necessary to check that the correct information has been included and that all coding is accurate. Staff should therefore be kept up to date of any changes to the billing rules to prevent errors that could result in rejected or denied claims. Getting it right first time will help medical providers to save money and become more efficient.
