The act of sending claims, whether electronically or not, is simple as long as you know the insurance company rules. With a list of systems in place, you can avoid claims problems by knowing payer rules, eligibility, predetermination status, and other critical claims details. Medical billing is a must, since we normally are not participating and have to ask about how in-network and out-of-network differ. Will they give you the approval to do out-of-network treatment with in-network fees?

Mistakes in what we tell our patients and how we bill the dental or medical insurance depend on our ability to gather the proper information before we do any treatment. When you’re admitted as a patient to any hospital, the first thing the hospital does is verify your insurance benefits.

Timely verification will save you hours from fixing claims and calling insurance companies to find out why they did not pay, and it leads to an understanding of the ins and outs of billing patients’ copayments and deductibles. Billing several different insurance companies, both medical and dental, will increase your bottom line.

Setting up your system may take training time. However, I have found that offices that take this approach on time are more successful. Today I trained with Tracy, an office manager who — by setting up a system of handoffs, forms to follow, and everything electronic with dental insurance — has collected much more than she did last year. When she started medical billing, she was able to get more approvals than any other office I’ve trained. Tracy took the advanced training seriously and adjusted how she approached all insurance claims in her office. Verifying patient and payer information for appointments routinely before a patient has any treatment has been so successful for her that her collections have increased by 79% in the last six months.

The “Yes System,” developed by Dr. Nate Booth, has given me the tools to help people work as a team. Communication and handoffs with the proper documentation have helped teams stop claims from being denied and helped prevent the common error — billing for services that may not be paid by insurance. There are easy solutions today to help streamline the process, collect more, and keep all your patients happy.

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Author Bio: Christine Taxin has more than 20 years as a practice-management professional. Her passion for communication, team training, vision, and goal setting has helped many practices meet their potential and increase their profitability. She helps each team member and doctor develop latent strengths to improve performance and effectiveness. Contact her by email at [email protected] or visit her website at www.Links2success.biz.