The initial months of the year tend to be less hectic for clinics. This opportune period presents the perfect opportunity to assess and strengthen your billing system, especially as you may still be catching up on billing tasks from the busy fourth quarter. As your front desk awaits a surge in appointments, allocating time to review your billing procedures and address outstanding payment needs can significantly benefit your practice.
To facilitate this process, consider the following list of tasks:
Review Last Year’s Billing
Analyze data from the previous year to identify the most frequent errors or issues encountered by your billing team. For instance, if difficulty keeping up with telehealth coding changes was a recurring problem, prioritize addressing this issue, as telehealth services are expected to remain important in the future.
Pursue Outstanding Payments
Late payments are a common obstacle preventing clinics from achieving their revenue targets. Even if a payment is past the 90-day mark, following up and collecting it can help your office stay on track.
Verify Patient Information
Ensure that you have up-to-date and relevant details for each patient, including their address, phone number, email, and identification. Storing this information provides opportunities to maintain direct communication between the provider and the patient during the collection process. Take the opportunity to verify and update this information when patients come in for appointments.
Seek Staff Input on Streamlining Processes
Consult your staff to gather their ideas on streamlining front desk operations and evaluate whether your current software adequately supports your needs. Clinics that utilize suitable software often experience enhanced productivity and accurate billing records. Periodically evaluating your current processes ensures they continue to align with your clinic’s evolving requirements. As your clinic grows, you may find the need for a more comprehensive system to accommodate the increasing demand.
Consider Outsourcing to Billing Experts
If your front staff faces challenges in managing billing alongside patient care, this could be the year to consider partnering with billing experts. Outsource Receivables Inc. collaborates with specialty clinics nationwide, helping them generate greater revenue and streamline their billing procedures.
Take advantage of this moment to optimize and reinforce your billing procedures, setting a solid foundation for the year ahead. By investing time and effort into enhancing your billing operations now, you can improve financial outcomes, maximize productivity, and deliver streamlined services that benefit both your practice and your patients.