Why is Medical Billing Challenging?

Anyone who’s worked in the healthcare industry understands the struggles medical billers face. Because the process is so long and intricate, it’s common for errors to occur from time to time. If you aren’t working in healthcare or don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes when a medical claim is created and processed, you might be confused as to why it’s such a difficult process. We broke down some of the top challenges medical billers face to offer some insight to those who don’t deal with claims firsthand:

Educating Patients

Research has shown that patients who are educated on how their bill came to be are more likely to make their payments. Keeping your patients up to date on what your practice charges, why they’re seeing a certain charge on their bills, and answering any questions they have with honesty and transparency creates a great patient-provider relationship, which reflects itself on your medical claims. 

Getting Payments on Time 

Even with due dates written clearly on a medical bill, many providers still find themselves dealing with late payments. Unfortunately, a late payment sets providers back, but as long as the payment is eventually received, it’s not the end of the world. 

Providing Accessible Payment Options

If you’re only offering one payment method, for example, mail-in payments, you can almost guarantee you’ll see fewer on-time payments. It’s important to offer a variety of payment options including cash, credit card, and checks. 

Filing Multiple Claims

This practice in particular becomes a problem for providers who file claims manually. Without a high-powered software tool, providers are stuck filing claims one at a time—slowing down the process massively and leaving room for errors. 

Denied Claims 

Nothing is worse than receiving a denied claim. Providers who manage their claims without software are more likely to see a greater number of denials, but unfortunately, it can happen to anyone. Denied claims can put providers’ revenue on hold, but with the right tools, providers can reduce the number of errors and denied claims they see. 

Billing Without Software

One of the biggest reasons medical billers face preventable challenges is because they’re still billing without software. Many cite saving money as a reason to keep with their manual process, but error-filled claims and a slow billing process actually hurt their bottom line. But recent healthcare trends show that technology is getting more and more into various industries, including medical billing.  

Ease the Stress of Billing With Reliable Software

Whether you’re a healthcare, homecare, or NEMT provider, you can benefit from switching to medical billing software. If you’re ready to improve your business, get in touch with our experts to learn what options we have for you!