Billing is one of the most important processes for any company or autonomous. Making mistakes during the billing process can result in the loss of money or a bad image. This article collects which are the most frequent mistakes that are made during billing, either due to confusion or not knowing the proper way to prepare claims.
Medical billing services providers can help to reduce billing errors and which is the most important factor in decreasing the rejection rate and increasing the collections. Let us have a look at what are the most frequent billing errors that health care services providers make when billing.
Most frequent errors when filling in the data
You need to review a claim before submitting it. It is very common to make mistakes when filling in fields such as the patient data, and even send the claim to the wrong company or person. Sending a bill to a wrong customer may be a violation of the law if you have signed a privacy clause with them. For a bill to be valid, it must contain the personal data and the address, name, and business name of each of the parties, as well as the date of the issue. On the other hand, it is recommended that the claims are numbered to be able to manage them in a faster and more efficient way.
Delayed submission
A business depends on the collection of claims, so it is important to send them as soon as possible. In this way, they can also be charged on time and prevent unpaid claims from accumulating, which can have a very negative impact on the business. Unnecessary delays in the submission of medical bills can cause rejections.
Incomplete explanation of services
The more itemized a claim is, the easier it will be to understand. This is essential when what is sold are services since each one of the services provided, the duration, and the amount must be detailed. Besides, in the case of the sale of products, it is important to include the price per unit. Finally, the relevant discounts or any other type of clause must be included.
Not mentioning the due date
Failure to set a due date can cause problems claiming a claim payment and will make it difficult to track the status of the claim.
Mode of payment
It is necessary to include the payment method that the customer must use to pay the billed amount. This will serve to facilitate and simplify the payment procedure. If a medical practice works to make the mode of payment easier for customers it can significantly increase the collections. For example, Most of the customers now prefer to pay through digital sources. Medical practices must provide all those digital payment options to add convenience to the payment mode.
Not personalising the claims
Customizing claims corporately speaking, in addition to serving as a promotion for a business, helps to improve the brand image of a practice. It is important to add the name of the practice along with the logo to give it its character. Of course, it should not be forgotten that it is a formal document, so these elements must be of the appropriate size.
Not taking care of the mistakes
A claim with spelling mistakes is the best way to destroy its process. At all times you have to be professional and that also includes the accuracy in the billing process.
Although it is a practice that some practices unfortunately use, adding charges to customers on the claim without negotiating them can be considered a scam and cause a lot of problems. To avoid such things to happen, the conditions of each sale must be clear between both parties before the bill is issued.
Not managing the record
Not only must every one of the claims issued be saved, but a copy of them must also be made. In this way, you can continue to claim a non-payment in the event of losing. On the other hand, having copies of all claims will help to have them ready if they are claimed.
The unpaid bills
The fact of processing a claim and sending it does not guarantee its collection. Claims should be monitored regularly to find out which ones have passed the due date. This will help to contact the customer, ask about the reason for the non-payment and take the appropriate measures, which can range from offering them a few more days to pay to facilitate payment by other means or, in serious cases, making appropriate claims.
Many mistakes can be made when making a claim. Having an outsourced medical billing company serves both to minimize these errors and to manage more simply and optimally the entire billing process of practice.
Medical billing companies have other advantages, such as the possibility of making claims from anywhere, processing different types of claims, or integrating it with the company’s accounting program. With the help of an outsourced medical billing services provider, medical practices can overcome these errors and can improve their profitability.
***
Image credit: Freepik
James Wallace has been an advocate for mental health awareness for years. He holds a master’s degree in counselling from the University of Edinburgh.
