Traditionally, the Federal Trade Commission has required that a product advertised as Made in USA be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S. Over the years this determination has become more and more complex. Automobile manufacturers stopped making everything themselves and began outsourcing parts production to lower-cost suppliers as early as the 1960’s. If you were to take an “American-made” transmission you will find that it is made up of many parts from many countries, up to 80% from other countries. In the age of globalization suppliers and production facilities can be anywhere. This same dynamic applies to the medical billing industry.
With more and more online technology, outsourcing of services has become the norm. With cloud computing you can share a common desktop and work from almost anywhere. Many call centers, help lines, and information technology services associated with coding and medical billing are commonly outsourced to far away places. Financial savings from lower international labor rates is a big motivation for international outsourcing, which is also known as offshoring. But what do you lose? In the area of call centers we have all had the end-user-experience of low quality customer service. This is exacerbated when outsourcing is combined with offshoring to regions where the first language and culture are different. Foreign call center staff may speak with different linguistic features such as accents, phrases, and word use; all of which may impede comprehension. This is compounded when visual cues that are missing in a telephone call may lead to misunderstandings and difficulties.
While Outsource Receivables Incorporated has the word “outsource” in its name, it is a 100% American owned and managed company. Based out of the Minneapolis area and working across multiple states, ORI was built from the ground up over the last 15 plus years by president and owner Dan Smits. The only “off-shoring” Dan does is with his pontoon boat on the local lakes.
In its most basic form, outsourcing is the contracting of business to a third-party. Simply put, outsourcing is an arrangement in which one company provides services for another company that could also be provided by staff in-house. Outsourcing is a trend that has become more and more common in medical billing as well as information technology and other industries for services that have usually been regarded as central to managing a business. The goal of outsourcing is to help businesses focus on their core competencies and have others provide staffing, expertise and technology in the areas needed to be successful.
Outsourcing has many benefits. Experienced, professional medical billers can ensure that your claims are accurately submitted in a timely manner which will reduce the number of denied and rejected claims due to billing errors and will provide the feedback to assist in maximizing reimbursements on future claims. By outsourcing your medical billing, you could save thousands of dollars in annual salaries and benefits; office supplies and furniture; and purchasing, upgrading, and maintaining billing software and computer equipment. Using a medical billing service allows a continuous, steady flow of claims going out and cash coming in. The ability to offer excellent customer service by reducing the burden placed on your front office staff by outsourcing can increase productivity, efficiency and employee morale. And the list of benefits goes on…
One big reason that makes medical billing a challenge is keeping up with the changes in Medicare, Medicaid and third party payers. It is a full time job to make sure that the medical office is following the proper protocol required by each payer. ORI must stay up-to-date on the latest changes in regulations and requirements in order to maintain compliance and ensure the submission of clean claims. With ICD-10 on the horizon, many practices are challenged with the seemingly overwhelming number of changes and weighing the many advantages of having ORI as a revenue cycle management partner. With the reduction in overhead costs, the timely submission of medical claims and the increased reimbursements, a higher profit is another advantage outsourcing can provide to the medical office to get through these challenging times.
Since 1998, Outsource Receivables, Inc. has been helping medical offices outsource their medical billing to improve efficiency and effectiveness while generating significant cost savings. Outsource Receivables Inc. provides medical billing expertise to surgical, family practice, specialty clinics, therapy offices, and mental health clinics throughout the United States. Located in Minnesota, we have a special focus on clinics in the Upper Midwest which includes Minneapolis, St. Paul, Greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. While ORI may work far and wide, we don’t go offshore for any of our services.
Acting as a 1st Party business partner, ORI communicates with clinic patients and insurance under the clinic name making the transition to using ORI’s services seamless for everyone involved. When ORI manages medical billing, the clinic is no longer left open to risks involved with staffing or technology. This leaves physicians, clinicians and administrators free to do what they do best, run the medical practice and provide care while ORI takes care of cash flow.
Outsourcing is a great option for those just starting a practice or those who have gone through a recent transition. Outsourcing to a partner in the USA has even more advantages. The best way to get started is to have a no risk assessment to determine what the cost savings and benefits would be outsourcing with ORI. It needs to be a “win-win” relationship and the assessment can give a full picture of clinic performance and provide projections to help make the decision. Call ORI at 866-585-2800 to get the process started!