Medical Billing Companies: An Overview
Every healthcare provider, including dentists, surgeons,
doctors, or chiropractors, is entitled to receive money for
their services. Medical billing companies are setup to make it
easier for them to wade through the murky waters or regulation
and insurance company code to ensure proper and timely
reimbursement.
Employees trained by medical billing companies are trained to
understand health insurance and the healthcare industry in all
its complexity. Their individual responsibilities are then to
bill patients and insurance companies based on the proper codes
according to their superbill (treatment record). Then, they have
to follow up on claims and answer any questions regarding
billing. In addition, medical billers must submit reports and
help their clients to understand the positive and negative
aspects of their cash flow.
There are many large medical billing companies to choose from
and they all offer a range of services. Any full-service medical
billing company should be able to offer the following:
* Expedite the claim/reimbursement process using advanced
software and expertise * Follow up on unpaid bills with both
patients and insurance companies * Provide accurate and timely
feedback on their client's practice in the form of reports *
Stay up to date on all new regulations Good medical billing
companies help clients to increase their revenue by getting
claims reimbursed quickly and accurately.
Besides the many large medical billing companies, there are also
many small one or two-person businesses that operate from homes
across the nation. These small-business medical billing
operations have the advantage of more personal attention to
their client's needs. Anyone with sufficient training and
expertise can run an effective home-based medical billing
company if they dedicate themselves.
When looking for medical billing companies, it is important to
shop around. Larger companies may let you have a trial period so
you can see if you like the way they handle your billing issues.
Whether you decide to try a small or a large medical billing
company, be sure to ask for references and address any concerns
you have upfront so you can make sure the arrangement is
positive on both ends.