A medical biller’s guide to difficult conversations with practices

FAQs
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What are the top causes of frustration between medical billing companies and their clients?
55% of medical billers say their top frustration is that practices fail to verify insurance, while 37% say their practices submit inaccurate patient information. 37% also report that practices don’t get prior authorizations, and 32% say their practices aren’t properly staffed or struggle with regular turnover. Communicate regularly with your clients to identify any problems, offer solutions, and reduce friction.
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How can medical billing companies improve communication with practices?
Establish a regular cadence for touching base with practices and remind them that you are available to troubleshoot any challenges. Proactively watch for signs of trouble like low reimbursement rates or consistent data errors and offer guidance and training to address problems before they get worse. Keep requests clear, simple, and consistent so clients know what to expect from you and understand what action is needed on their end. Finally, ask open-ended questions to encourage clients to share their concerns as well, then offer your expertise to resolve their issues.
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How can medical billing companies overcome documentation challenges when working with practices?
Emphasize that poor documentation and missing data can cause delays and denials that prevent the practice from getting paid. Invest time in training practice staff on proper data entry practices, ensuring their EHR templates are set up to work as efficiently as possible. Finally, help practices choose automation software to streamline claim management, insurance eligibility verification, and patient billing.