How to Hire the Right Billing Service:

HIPAA requires all medical providers to adhere strictly to the confidentiality procedures outlined in the HIPAA guidelines which extend to third party billing entities.  It is extremely important that billing service you choose for your practice is in compliance with all HIPAA regulations.  In addition, the billing service provider should agree to sign a confidentiality agreement and, upon request, provide system security documentation along with certifications & credentials of their staff to ensure the protection and confidentiality of your patients.

• Examine your service agreement, verify there is a cancellation period (usually less than one month) and check for hidden costs.  Confirm that your billing service does not have any hidden fees for providing management reports or special statements you will need in order to continue to offer quality service to your patients.  It is important that your practice should be charged only after you receive payment from your patients; you should never incur any upfront costs just for filing the claims.  Practices should not be billed for claims that need to be resubmitted or re-billed to secondary insurance companies.
• Your billing service should be able to handle all of the claims your practice may generate.  If your practice specializes in Worker’s Compensation or Personal Injury claims, your billing service should be able to adjust efficiently to accommodate the extra efforts of submitting these claims with proper documentation.  Additionally, not all insurance companies accept electronic claims, but a billing service provider should be able to submit electronic claims whenever possible.

Your billing service is part of your office support team.  They should be willing to work with you and your staff to improve upon the current processes and services you deliver to your customers. While at the same time, they should be able to effectively meet the needs of your practice and integrate seamlessly into your business processes.