7 Questions to Ask Medical Billing and Coding Software Providers

Are you seeking medical billing and coding software? Before you agree to a contract, ensure it’s the right fit by asking providers these hard-hitting questions.

Medical offices are increasingly finding ways to streamline their processes by going digital. In many ways, digital services make life easier both for the practice and the patient. They give the patient increased access to their healthcare provider and make offices more productive.

One way digital services help patients and providers alike are through online billing. With this tool, patients can spend less time in the office. Likewise, your receptionists can spend more time tending to other concerns.

However, not all medical billing and coding software have the same advantages. Some options on the market provide much greater security than others.

Finding the right medical billing software is crucial for your practice. It helps ensure your HIPPA compliance and secure your payment’s safety.

So, to help you find the right medical billing company, we’ve prepared seven questions to consider when examining software.

1. How Much Experience Do Your Billers Have?

When you examine a medical billing service, determine how long they’ve been in operation. While everybody has to start somewhere, it’s best to trust people who have been in the business for some time.

Medical billing is a complex process, and the recent adoption of ICD-10 will likely complicate it further. As a result, experts say that experience is the greatest asset a medical billing vendor can have. Even certifications aren’t as helpful as practice.

When examining a vendor’s years of experience, make sure it’s also in your field. Most of your billing cases are straightforward to resolve, but some cause trouble. As such, a vendor needs a thorough understanding of your coding habits and billing methods.

A skilled coder can succeed in almost any field. However, if you do find coders with that experience, it should weigh heavily for you.

2. Can They Maintain HIPAA Compliance?

No medical practice is 100% compliant with HIPAA standards. These standards often operate according to a spectrum. However, every office must make its best effort to comply as much as possible.

Your compliance efforts extend to the medical coding software you use. As such, ask about the security of a company’s medical billing software programs.

What associate agreements do they offer? Do they include email, fax, and data security for your patient’s payments? Do they destroy documents and equipment whose hard drives might retain your patients’ data?

When discussing HIPAA standards, no security measure is too much. Only hire a medical billing company when you’re sure they can meet your security needs.

3. What Types of Reports Will Their Medical Billing and Coding Software Provide?

When dealing with patients’ money, you want to ensure you receive thorough and regular reports. So, ask your vendor about the kind of reports you can expect to receive.

Ask them to provide you with samples of their daily, monthly, and quarterly reports. Once you’ve seen the kinds of reports they produce, you can decide if they’re the best company for you.

In addition to standard reports, ask if they’ll alert you to contract issues as well. While this is not a universal feature for billing services, it helps ensure you receive what your patients owe you.

4. Can They Provide Transparency and Convenience?

Finding a biller that offers transparency and convenience is essential. How do the two go together?

Many billers offer you account information like usernames and passwords. With this information, you can log into the system on any device to run management and financial reports.

Likewise, some systems allow you to produce special reports and adjust your existing information to your preferences. Other software, however, lacks these features.

Before you sign a contract, make sure you understand the fullness of what services you’ll receive from this biller. Make sure they provide the essential features you need to manage your practice.

5. How Much Will They Adapt to Your Practices?

If you’ve run a medical office for a few years, you likely have systems and processes in place you’ve grown accustomed to. Upending those systems could cause chaos in your workplace, especially if you trained your staff with those systems.

As such, search for a biller who won’t mind adjusting to some of your systems. Don’t be a tyrant about this; after all, these vendors likely have practices from which you can benefit. They can also help to improve your existing systems and methods.

However, don’t sign with a company that won’t budge at all. That sort of stubbornness could result in negative impacts on your office. Instead, search for that happy medium between the extremes.

6. Who Can You Call for References?

Hiring a new medical billing company is much like hiring a new employee. Just as you would run a background check and call for references on the new employee, do the same with a billing company.

Talk to as many of the company’s clients as you feel to be necessary. Discover what their experience with the company has been like and how long they’ve worked with them. If the information you hear sounds promising, then you can move to the final consideration.

7. How Does the Pricing Breakdown Look?

The final consideration for your hiring process should be the cost of services. If the company offers low fees, ensure they’re providing the same services as higher-priced companies.

Less expensive companies often avoid certain services. One standard example is neglecting to send out patient statements in a timely way. They also fail to follow up with low-ticket claims or denied claims.

Likewise, if their fees seem expensive, ensure the price stems from quality work and not an inflated ego. Make sure they can back up their claims.

Find Your Medical Billing and Coding Software Provider

With these questions, you have all the tools you need to find medical billing and coding software. All that’s left is to investigate vendors.

Start your search by using our service review! We offer thorough investigations and guides on the best billing services in the field.  Check out our buyer’s guide to find a company that will work for you.

Author: Mike Cynar

Mike Cynar brings buyers and sellers together by producing reviews and creating non biased webpages allowing users to share their experiences on various products and services. He and his staff write informative articles related to the medical field, legal, and other small business industries.