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Medical Billing   Jan 22, 2020

Prevent medical billing and coding mistakes

Medical Billing is a very Important aspect in the Healthcare World. When medical billing and coding errors take place, no matter how minor the errors may be, those errors could cost the physician thousands of dollars on an annual basis. Even the smallest medical billing and coding errors could be ruled out as the reason for claim denials or payment delays. In addition, repeated errors can cost you the relationship you have with patients and things can go downhill due to that.

Start asking yourself these questions: Are my medical coders industrious and Persistent? Are they methodical and accurate? Are they experienced? Are they Concentrative? Do they communicate well despite the fact that they are certified? If they are, then your medical practice is headed in the right direction and are in the right hands. If they are not, then you need to make a schedule of intense training programs and conduct internal quality tests to create change and improvements in their coding performances.

Most of you readers already know what medical coding is and why it is important in medical practices, to avoid billing and coding errors. It is highly necessary that medical practices have skilled and experienced teams of coders so that no medical coding errors are made. But let’s be honest, even well-experienced medical coders do make mistakes. This can cause an increase in claim denial rates and put your money at risk. Therefore, to help you out, we’ve curated a few tips on how your medical coders can avoid medical errors.

  • SIX Steps essential for your medical billers and coders to avoid Errors.
1. Verify Patient Information

Incorrect or incomplete patient information can lead to billing rejections. Always verify the patient’s name, policy numbers, date of birth, and any additional required information like matching policy data and group number data in cases where the patient is dependent on a primary insurance holder. Make sure that everything is correct and up-to-date. Even one small mistake connected to the patient’s information can cause a claim to be denied.

2. Verify Insurance Coverage Eligibility

One of the main reasons that medical billing claims get denied is because the medical team don’t verify insurance coverage. Insurance companies have different policies as to which medical services they cover. More importantly, insurance information can change at any time, even for regular patients. That is why it is important for Providers to verify their patient’s eligibility every time they render their services. It is very important to make sure that the patient’s insurance has not been terminated or that the services you render are covered on the patient’s plan, this will ensure that the claim will not be denied.

3. Stay updated with Coding changes

Change is constant in every aspect of life, so it is quite obvious that even medical codes get changed and updated. due to all the new codes that have been introduced, claim denials have increased for many practices. Some medical coders, especially the experienced ones, are already comfortable and secured to their work that they are stuck to particular ways. As a result, they don’t spend any time cross-checking if there are changes or replaced codes to make sure they are using the most accurate codes and up-to-date codes. However, with thousands of CPT codes, it is easy to unknowingly choose the incorrect procedure codes when completing claims, especially if new codes are added which Is why double checking codes is also very critical. This will lead to a medical coding error and could cost you a part of your money. So, the key here is that medical coders should push themselves to stay on track with the latest medical codes and any coding changes.

4. Check and Double-Check

It is very important to make sure that everything is in absolute order. From patient information to diagnosis, and procedure codes, everything should be Correct. Even one piece of incorrect information can lead to a denial. Therefore, make sure that you and your team check everything, to prevent your claims from being denied. This is why your medical coders should be detail-oriented as well as extra attentive to avoid these kinds of problems.

5. Use Upgraded and Advanced Medical Billing Software

Using advanced medical billing software’s may help your team eliminate or reduce billing and coding mistakes. Medical billing software’s ensures that there are no coding errors, repeated numbers or wrong information in the claims. Info in the patient’s EHR only has to be entered once, so the slightest chance of an error is eliminated. This means that you will have lesser denials, lesser pending claims, and less work for your team. However, when you decide to use a medical billing software, make sure that your staff know how to enter patient information and is well-trained on how to use the software to prevent more billing errors.

6. Have a Team of Experts

Medical billers are faced with keeping healthcare providers on a solid financial ground through satisfying patients with timely processing of their health insurance claims. They are faced with many challenges such as getting claims that are denied and tracking down the causes of each denial. We can definitely say that it is not easy. However, a team of experts will help your practice eliminate errors and avoid medical billing mistakes. Having a team of experienced medical coders that keep track of the thousands of codes for medical, outpatient and diagnostic procedures, can help you reduce claim denials.

WE HOPE THE ABOVE TIPS WERE HELPFUL-

WE UNDERSTAND that Medical billing is not easy and definitely not a stroll in the park. It is a hard process and it requires expertise of the ever-changing rules, codes and regulations. Finding an industrious, reliable, detail-oriented, well-experienced, responsible, persistent and certified medical biller is difficult for a lot of practices. However, we have very good news – ACP BILLING SERVICES can help you. We know that medical billing process can be stressful, and time-consuming. And our team aims to relieve that burden by offering end-to-end revenue cycle management services and multi-specialties  from start to finish, we can help you improve any part of your difficulties or rather every part. Contact us and let us help unburden you.

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