The first few months of the year are often a less busy time for clinics as deductibles reset; additionally, they might still be feeling the effects of COVID-19 complicating the healthcare system. In other words, this is the perfect time to evaluate and reinforce a productive billing system—especially since you might still be catching up on billing needs from the busy fourth quarter. While your front desk waits for appointments to pick up, this is a great time to assign them to review your 2020 and follow-up on payment needs.A great list for them to complete would be:
- Go over last year’s billing and put data together on the most common mistakes or issues that your billing team came across. For example, if it’s something like struggling to stay ahead of the telehealth coding changes, then that should be addressed since telehealth services will most likely be expected of clinics from now on.
- Follow up on any outstanding payments. Late payments are some of the most common reasons why clinics don’t reach their target revenue. However, even if its past the 90+ days, collecting the payment will help your office stay ahead of the curve.
- Double check you have all relevant patient info and when it was last updated. You should have their address, phone number, email, and an ID on file in case a collections agency is ever needed. Before reaching out to them, however, storing all of that contact information allows you more opportunities to keep the collections process between provider and patient. Verify that info with patients when they come in for an appointment.
- Ask staff if they have any ideas for streamlining the front desk process and if the software is doing enough. Clinics that have the right software for their needs often see an increase in productivity and accurate notes for billing, which is why providers should evaluate their current process once in a while to ensure its still working for them. A growing clinic, for example, might need a more comprehensive system after a few years to cover all that new demand.
If your front staff isn’t up to the task or you’re struggling to balance billing and patient care, then this might be the year you finally outsource to billing experts. Outsource Receivables Inc. works with specialty clinics across the nation to help them generate more revenue and streamline their entire billing process.