Medical Billing

# Essential Medical Billing Tips for Small Practices

- June 4, 2024
- Posted by Kristen Edwards

03 Jun

Choosing to start a small medical practice always involves delivering effective and efficient personalized patient care. However, there are other aspects to consider, like medical billing for services. To ensure accurate and error-free medical billing, you must ensure a proper coding and billing system and strategies to overcome all challenges.

This article will explain the steps in the medical billing cycle for small practices. The latter section will include tips and tricks to make this process practical and valuable for both parties, physicians and patients.

## 10 Steps in the Medical Billing Cycle

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Independent new practices must follow certain steps and tricks for medical billing. These steps will help the organization fasten the reimbursement cycle, increase pay rates, and save time for the staff.

### 1. The crucial role of medical billing

The medical billing system helps small practices by activating the reimbursement process for patient services rendered. The necessary components of a medical billing system include:

- The statement of services provided.
- Creation of bills.
- The submission of payment claims to the insurance company.

This process includes numerous steps, such as collecting the patients’ personal and insurance data and billing the services using standard code sets like CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) and ICD (International Classification of Diseases).

Medical billing regarding coding accuracy and documentation is essential as it directly influences reimbursement rates. Errors or mistakes in coding may result in the denial of claims. Claim rejection and maximum revenue generation can only be possible by doing accurate coding and documentation. Risks can be minimized in medical billing by following the above steps.

### 2. Choosing the right medical billing software

Numerous software and other technological options are available which can help the medical billers to undergo all processes effectively. Therefore, research should be done and all reputable software should be compared considering the degree of ease of use and compliance with the existing requirements like HIPAA. Chosen software should not have any type of glitches or irregular behaviour which can lead to mistakes in claim submission and ultimately results in claim rejection or denial.

Cloud-based billing software should be used for advanced availability, flexibility, and safety. Adoption of cloud-based technology helps to obtain billing data from different sources with just having a good internet connection.

### 3. Training of staff

Among the 10 steps in the medical billing cycle, providing the staff with the necessary education and training is very necessary. Considering the regulatory rules and policies, competent and skillful staff members should be hired and trained to do medical billing. Medical billing is an evolving process, and regulatory authorities launch new policies timely therefore, keeping educating the staff can be in the best interest of healthcare organizations.

### 4. Verify insurance coverage and eligibility

Verifying the patient’s information, including the insurance coverage and biodata, is the prerequisite for providing healthcare services to the patients. Sometimes, the patients do not mention insurance coverage. In this case, healthcare practitioners will not be imbursed for the services rendered. Insurance coverage can be checked using technological tools.

### 5. Implement efficient coding practices

- Code Optimization: Encourage the coders to make the bills using modern code sets, such as ICD-10. Proper documentation should be done to ensure the success of the claim and timely reimbursement credit.
- Regular Audits: It is wise to perform Code Audits regularly to understand and detect mistakes and fix them in real-time to remain compliant with the rules and regulations.

### 6. Optimize revenue cycle management

- Streamline Processes: The revenue cycle management processes, from patient scheduling to payment collecting, should be streamlined to minimize revenue leakage.
- Timely Claim Submission: The importance of timely claim submission should be recognized and stressed. It will prevent the accumulation of outstanding debts and guarantee a smooth cash flow.

### 7. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)

- Identify Relevant Metrics: The average days in accounts receivable (AR), claim denial rate and collection rate are the primary indicators of the medical billing process success rate process. These factors should be monitored to evaluate the financial status of the practice.
- Utilize Reporting Tools: Many digital tools facilitate the billing processes and KPIs from time to time, and automatic reports are generated according to the scheduled time to use these tools and remain updated on the process’s success rate.

### 8. Establish clear communication channels

- Patient Education: Educate patients about insurance coverage and billing processes. This step will help mitigate misunderstandings and the chances of delayed payments.
- Open Communication: Highlight the need for open communication between billing staff, healthcare providers, and patients to resolve billing concerns. This will help determine the quick resolution of billing issues.

### 9. Stay updated on regulatory changes

- Regulatory Compliance: It is suitable for healthcare providers and billers to remain aware of the trending changes in healthcare regulations, like the introduction of modified billing codes or reimbursement policies. This action is needed to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
- Industry Resources: To remain informed about regulatory changes, use resources to get updates from accredited organizations like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

### 10. Outsourcing billing services

Limited resources remain a hindrance in the way of many administrative functions like the medical billing process for small practices. Fewer resources result in less efficient work. This can lead to cycling revenue loss, entering a vicious cycle. This can be a disaster for the small practices. Therefore, it is advised to get the help of outsourced billing services, which can create bills with no mistakes for these organizations. Small practices should keep in mind the pros of outsourced billing and coding services in terms of cost saving, expertise, and a decrease in administrative burden.

Therefore, to make your small practice profitable, choose a billing partner with reliable billing service, a proven track record, a 100 percent client satisfaction rate, reasonable pricing, and effective customer service.

## Conclusion

The medical billing process for small practices can be daunting and comes with various challenges because of limited resources. There are 10 steps in the medical billing cycle that organizations should follow if they want to make a mark in this field. A thorough understanding of the medical billing process is fundamental. Billing staff should know the CPT codes, use of billing software, timely audit, and billing regulations. Small practices should hire professionals and train them according to regulatory policies. Managing the revenue cycle and monitoring KPIs can effectively prevent revenue loss. All these tricks can make your practice well-established.

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