Healthy Insurance Claims

These days, when it comes to medical billing and coding related practices, health providers must sit up and pay attention…or risk paying a high price.

To be effective, medical billing and coding must be accomplished by a professional trained for the job. Creating the patient account, charge entry, payment posting, denial posting, reconciliation, returned mail, refunds, provider data bases and updates, adjustments and write-offs, are just the tip of the iceberg in this important field. Accurate, transparent billing and coding methods minimize provider risk and result in fewer claims denials.

A trend is fast developing to assign these demanding medical billing and coding related tasks to companies that specialize in the field. This type of synergy, now common in many growing industries, allows the hospital, HMO, physician or clinic to concentrate on the job of healing, with an end result of better service for the patient, and a healthier business atmosphere for the healthcare provider itself.

Specialized software for medical practice management is abundant as well. The advantages in choosing to complete medical billing and coding in-house, using this practice management software, are strong. Chief among them is security and in-house control, as well as electronic medical claims submission, electronic claim processing, electronic patient statements, automatic posting of electronic remittance (EOB), and so on.

Medical practice software not only includes tools for proper medical billing and coding, but software for medical offices such as appointment scheduling, claims tracking tools, and technical support.

Deciding the correct approach to the crucial tasks of medical billing and coding is one of the most important steps the health care provider can take. Serious research is the basis of all medicine. Medical billing and coding practices are no exception.

View all Articles by: Melissa Clark, CCS-P