When your medical billing company's performance dips, it’s easy to blame external factors: sluggish payers, economic downturns, industry-wide staffing shortages, or a drop in client volume. But what if the problem is internal?
If your business has hit a rough patch, it may be because your remote workforce lacks a shared mission. When employees feel disconnected, they tend to make decisions in isolation — often to clients’ detriment.
Research shows that only 2 in 10 employees feel connected to their organization’s culture. Culture erosion — the gradual breakdown of shared values, behaviors, and standards — doesn’t happen overnight. It compounds quietly, especially in remote and hybrid billing organizations. Failing to prioritize creating a high-performance culture can lead to:
- Client confidence erosion
- Higher rework and error rates
- Recruitment and retention struggles
- Manager burnout
- Margin compression
- Slower onboarding
A high-performance culture in an organization is possible when the business is purposefully structured for clarity, accountability, and trust. This framework enables teams to consistently deliver results without burnout — an operational necessity.
"A high-performance culture in an organization is possible when the business is purposefully structured for clarity, accountability, and trust."
Watch for these signs of poor workplace culture
If you notice the following signs of poor workplace culture, your medical billing company's bottom line could be at risk:
- Accountability weakens. Problems bounce between coding, accounts receivable, and eligibility teams without being resolved. Your clients often identify medical billing challenges before your team does.
- Billing metrics lag. Rising days in AR, repeat denials, and a decrease in clean claims rates often have cultural roots. Without a high-performance culture, employees may lose the motivation to advocate for the client's best interests.
- Employees leave. Frequent exits suggest employees are uneasy about internal operations and are unwilling to risk their professional reputations by remaining.
- Debate quiets. Regardless of whether it’s ICD-10 updates, new payer requirements, or Medicaid eligibility changes, billing requires constant debate. If employees don’t ask questions or challenge outliers, the company risks noncompliance.
- Employees hide problems. In a weak culture, employees may not feel safe expressing genuine concerns,leaving your company vulnerable to recoupments.
- More write-offs. Without clear standards, improper shortcuts begin to masquerade as productivity and write-offs become the path of least resistance.
- Billing is inconsistent. Even in the presence of documented policies and procedures, billers may begin to apply their own interpretations. This inconsistency quietly damages quality and client trust.
Is your culture at risk? Access this free anonymous remote workplace culture survey to gather immediate, honest feedback from your team.
Note: For smaller companies where anonymity is difficult, try breaking the survey into smaller segments, skipping open-ended questions, or using a neutral third party to compile the results.
9 steps to create a high-performance culture
Addressing signs of poor workplace culture is straightforward if you act early. Use these 9 strategies to build a high-performance culture in an organization with a remote workforce:
- Celebrate "invisible" wins. Build momentum by acknowledging successful appeals or reduced denials rates. Connecting these wins to client success keeps remote staff inspired.
- Define roles and responsibilities. Accountability requires clear job descriptions and updated policies that eliminate guesswork.
- Establish mentorship. Remote hires don’t absorb culture organically. Formal mentorship ensures business values are visible and transferable from day one.
- Prioritize synchronous connections. Use real-time meetings or video calls to build trust. Digital alignment is crucial for creating a high-performance culture.
- Invest in manager capability. Look beyond technical billing knowledge to ensure managers have the coaching, conflict resolution, data interpretation, and change management skills necessary for success.
- Leverage shared dashboards. Transparency leads to accountability. Make performance expectations and data visible to everyone.
- Map out career paths. Stay ahead of revenue cycle trends. Show employees how their roles will evolve alongside AI and automation, providing clear paths for advancement.
- Normalize quality assurance (QA) as a learning tool. Shift the approach to audits and QA processes from threats to learning tools. High-performance managers connect the dots between increased compliance and company longevity.
- Teach culture during onboarding. Ensure new hires understand your company’s mission, vision, and values from the beginning, particularly in terms of your approach to RCM and compliance.
Anticipating future challenges
As medical billing becomes increasingly automated, human work is shifting to exception handling, strategy, and client communication. In this environment, your greatest asset is a workforce that feels safe surfacing errors and exchanging ideas.
A high-performance culture in an organization is one that asks not, "How do we get people to work faster?" but, "How do we help people think better?" If your current environment doesn't reflect that, now is the time to address the underlying issues and pivot toward a culture of excellence.
Book a personalized demo today to discover how Tebra can give your billing company the tools to accelerate payment, maximize revenue, and scale growth — for you and your clients.
You might also be interested in
- Get paid: Stop hidden revenue leaks in your medical billing with actionable tips from Tebra’s exclusive webinar.
- The true cost of medical billing: From unexpected fees to AI adoption, learn what’s changing in the world of medical billing.
- Navigate AI, cybersecurity, and compliance: Meet the moment with smarter systems, stronger safeguards, and real-world tactics you can use now.
Subscribe to The Intake: A weekly check-up for your independent practice
