Basic Mistakes
I was literally 70% through billing for a client’s clinic lists from last Friday. Eight separate patients and a mixture of initial and follow up consultations.
All was going well until I noticed the details of one of the patients on the clinic list were incomplete. The only solution was to speak to the patient’s insurance company. I need accurate data to bill effectively and efficiently. So I called the insurance company but like many when you call them you join a queue and have to wait.
So far I’ve been on hold for 16 mins.
Paying Attention to the Details
Yet this problem could have been so easily avoided if the correct details had been taken down and checked. The problem was the policy number had not been recorded, as it should be.
Just got through and it transpires the date of birth is also wrong. The patient was born a year earlier than stated on the clinic list.
Three observations really:
The insurance company may well clear and pay the invoice even if the details are incomplete and/or incorrect, there again they may not.
If the details had been checked originally before the clinic list had been produced, none of this would have been necessary and the invoice would have been processed for payment much quicker.
Finally, if your med-sec is handling your billing, whilst he/she is on the phone for 20 mins to an insurance company she’s not actually talking to patients and booking them in or typing your letters. Indeed patients can’t call her because she’s on the phone sorting out issues such as the above.
So it’s taken around 20 mins to sort this one single issue and that is what can take up so much time!
How many times have I said most clearly: INVOICE RIGHT = GET PAID RIGHT??