Medical billing service - what does it include

Understand what a Billing Service can do? Before deciding whether outsourcing your billing would help your practice, be sure you know what a billing service can offer you. Different firms provide different services and equipment, but they typically include the following:

-Data entry of patients' demographic and billing information, charges, receipts and adjustments;

-Production and submission of claims, both electronic and paper-based;

-Production and mailing of patient statements;

-Collection and tracking of payments from third parties and patients;

-Purging of inactive accounts;

-Production of management reports;

-Installation of computer terminals and printers so the practice can perform queries, update records, schedule appointments, and generate demand reports, demand statements and super bills.

-Identify your needs and wants

Next, carefully document the specific functions and characteristics of your current billing system. These include how the system tracks patient demographics, how it handles data entry, how it generates paper and electronic claims, its collection features, its ability to generate standard and customized reports -- and everything else you find important. Think about what you like about your current system, what you don't like and what features you wish it had. Then use that information to develop a list of the features you want from a Billing Service system.