Billing Medical Insurance Is Good for Patients & Practices
By Ryan Javanbakht – September 2019 DSM Insider
Just like you, our organization bills medical insurance for our patients and we still find the benefits outweigh the headaches. Our goal is to increase access to care while helping patients feel safe and secure knowing they’re maximizing the benefit of the medical insurance they already pay for.
Start with Why
Case Acceptance
Offering medical insurance support will help you gain more case acceptance. This decreases patient out-of-pocket portion and makes therapy more affordable. Patients don’t usually accept treatment until they know their bottom line.
It’s What People Want
As humans, one of our most primal instincts is the need to feel safe and secure. The word “insurance” means a thing providing protection against possible eventuality. Using tried and true medical billing protocols will help patients feel safe and secure.
Higher Collections
Assuming you’ve set fair, affordable, and ethical charge amounts to medical insurances– your will patients enjoy lower out of pocket portion and you are more likely to see rewards of the reimbursements from their carriers.
Move to How
Understand & Get On board
Medical billing key opinion leader, Randy Curran once told me, “the only consistency with out of network billing is inconsistency.” Once you understand and accept the insurance carriers processes you can use patients’ medical benefits to their advantage. Be patient and take the time to learn the process.
Know Your Stuff
Whether you took a course on medical billing or you’ve hired a 3rd party medical biller, it’s important that you know your stuff. Trust the process, bill the correct codes, set ethical charge amounts, understand the out-of-network 3rd party negotiations, and manage your denials.
Do Your Part
Submit all necessary documentation in a timely manner and follow up accordingly. If you’ve partnered with a 3rd party biller, it doesn’t mean they’re going to do everything for you. Correspond quickly and often with your medical biller.
End with Who
Hire an experienced expert or do it yourself. The most cost-effective route is to hire a credible and reliable 3rd party medical biller specializing in dental sleep medicine. Interview medical billers and ask a lot of questions. Look for guaranteed support and find a partner who will give details of your patient’s out-of-pocket portion for your case presentation.
Helping patients into therapy means spending the time and effort to add medical billing to your practice. It will lower patient costs, you will gain higher case acceptance, and It’s what your patients want.
