Essential components of the medical billing workflow: 9 tips

Engage patients in the billing process

1. Be clear about your collections process. Share the forms patients should complete before each visit and consider posting signs in reception areas. When patients have ample opportunity to review the policy upfront, there’s less room for dispute later. A clear fee schedule can help them understand their financial responsibilities. Patients are consumers looking for transparency, value, and flexibility, and most of them want to know about their payment obligations prior to their visit.
    
2. Encourage online bill pay. Online bill pay through the patient portal promotes quicker and more efficient payments, lowers the number of bills sent to collections, and improves patient satisfaction. For this reason, it is an important component of medical billing workflows. With the right online bill pay solution, patients can review their statements and payment histories, set up automated payment plans, and opt in to paperless electronic statements.
    
3. Keep patient information updated. Patients can update contact information in the portal, which saves time and reduces the need for manual data entry. Outdated patient information can result in denied claims and paper statements that are not received. Patient record maintenance should be a standard procedure at all practices.

Give staff the right training and tools

4. Do a knowledge check. All staff should understand the medical billing process and their role in it. Additional training might be appropriate to remedy any knowledge gaps, educate staff on important regulatory changes or trends, or just provide a useful refresher. Free training modules can be accessed through My Greenway and personal training services are also available.
    
5. Leverage EHR capabilities. EHR systems should improve your medical billing and claims submission accuracy and result in a quicker process with less manual data entry and fewer rejected claims. EHR workflows should include automated coding to reduce errors, automated electronic submission, and access to patient data so billing staff can follow up on denied claims. Track all denials — they can offer valuable insight into issues with EHR use and the entire billing process.
    
6. Check the data. Regular data analysis is a critical checkup for the health of your practice. Practice analytics software doesn’t just provide you with business insights to inform day-to-day operations — it can also indicate workflow inefficiencies and knowledge gaps that might not be obvious.

Look outside your practice

7. Outsource your most problematic collections. Collections can be enormously time-consuming and can negatively impact patient-provider relationships. Outsourcing the most problematic debt collection to experts saves time that the practice can use to focus on patients instead.
    
8. Consider a billing expert. A billing consultant can look closely at your billing workflow and make expert recommendations tailored to the specific needs of your practice. While consulting services carry some costs, it’s an investment in your practice that can save ample money in the long run.
    
9. Be open to new solutions. Clearinghouse services can reduce rejections and speed reimbursements. Revenue cycle management services can simplify billing and save time while improving your practice’s financial health. And don’t miss out on upgrades to EHR — new features may be available that can make a difference in your practice.

Even well-made machines with high-quality components require maintenance, and the medical billing process is no exception. The fix is usually more information — for patients to engage them in the billing process, for staff to empower them to do their jobs knowledgeably and effectively, and for the entire practice to determine when to seek support.