Medical Billing Software

Running the Office Better with Medical Billing Software

The medical practice has long been one of the industries slowest to automate their office with up-to-date business software. Over the last several years, that has changed, as the business of caring for patients has become more complicated, as well as government-regulated. Since the passing of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Acountability Act (HIPAA), it's more important than ever for practices to be up-to-date in all aspects of their practice. An important one that not only helps with compliance but running an altogether more efficient operation (which the doctors can "operate" more efficiently!) is medical billing software.

One important software upgrade many medical practices can make to both be more efficient and comply with HIPPA is in the area of billing. Part of HIPPA compliance is electronic transmission of claims. Electronic transmission of claims provides efficiencies through reducing the number of rejected insurance claims and improves the speed of payments.

Medical billing software provides assistance in many areas of billing... it can check for input errors, process claims, and also track the office's accounts receivable with customizable forms.

Most medical billing software can not only check for general input errors, it can even pinpoint invalid information, like if a procedure code or a patient's policy number has been entered incorrectly. It handles claims processing through a clearinghouse, or directly submits claims to Medicare/Medicaid. Medical billing software may give the medical office the capability to submit claims directly to any insurer (usually for an add-on fee). Accounts receivable assistance comes in the form of things like claims reminders, revenue reports and collections tracking. If accounts receivable is not directly handled by medical billing software, usually there is an exporting capability to the office's accounting software.

Today, it's important for medical practices to be as automated as possible, and it's also important to make the best automation choices for each individual medical office. When you're in the market for medical billing software, be sure to shop around, ask for recommendations from other practices, and test each potential billing software program thoroughly to make sure it meets your practice's needs.