We all know that a bad personal relationships can cause trauma. Experiencing dishonesty, poor communication, and outright abuse will make anyone be cautious before entering another relationship- if they decide to do so at all. Well, it’s no different with business relationships. Healthcare providers are more reluctant than ever before to outsource their medical billing services as a result of trauma suffered at the hands of a medical billing services provider that lacked the qualities that a business partner and services provider should possess.

The first step to repairing the communication breakdown between medical billing companies and healthcare providers is to create a unified system for communication. This can be done by creating a platform where both parties can easily access and share information. Additionally, both parties should commit to regular communication and update each other on any changes or updates. It’s also important to establish a clear list of expectations, deadlines, and procedures to ensure that the communication process is smooth. To ensure that both parties are on the same page, regular meetings should be held to discuss any challenges or issues that arise. Lastly, utilizing the latest technology and software can help streamline communication and reduce the chances of communication breakdowns.

According to professional experience and extensive research, a medical billing company should possess a few key qualities in order to provide quality service to their clients. They should be knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of medical billing, and be familiar with the laws and regulations that govern the billing process. They should have excellent customer service skills, and be able to handle customer inquiries with ease and efficiency. They should be organized and efficient in their work, with the ability to keep track of paperwork, billing schedules, and medical codes. They should also be reliable and trustworthy, as medical billing involves sensitive and confidential information. Lastly, they should be communicative and transparent with their clients, providing regular updates on billing progress and offering any additional advice or guidance as needed.

As a medical billing services provider, the top five complaints from healthcare providers and office administrators seeking outsourced medical billing services are:

1. Poor communication between medical billers and providers regarding patient accounts and payments.

2. Difficulties in obtaining accurate and timely patient information from medical billers.

3. Inconsistencies in coding and billing procedures between medical billers and providers.

4. Lack of transparency between medical billers and providers in regards to fees and billing practices.

5. Unreliable follow-up from medical billers on unpaid claims and patient accounts.

Poor communication in medical billing can lead to a number of errors, such as incorrect patient information being entered, incorrect coding, and incorrect payment amounts. This can lead to a number of problems, including delayed payment, incorrect payments, and potential legal issues. To avoid these errors, it is important to ensure that all parties involved in the medical billing process are communicating effectively and accurately. This includes patient information such as names, addresses, and insurance information, as well as coding information. Additionally, it is important to have a clear understanding of the medical billing process to ensure that all steps are completed correctly and timely. By following these steps, mistakes due to poor communication in medical billing can be avoided.

Poor coding inconsistencies in medical billing can lead to a number of errors, such as incorrect diagnosis codes, incorrect procedure codes, and incorrect data entry. These errors can lead to incorrect reimbursement amounts, which can cause a financial burden on the practice or organization. Additionally, incorrect coding can lead to incorrect patient records, which can have serious implications for patient care. To avoid these errors, practices should ensure their coding is accurate and up to date with the most recent coding guidelines. Additionally, it is important to have a system in place to review and audit coding to ensure accuracy. Lastly, staff should be properly trained on coding procedures and regularly attend coding seminars and courses to stay up to date with the latest coding guidelines.

Often times the poor communication has resulted in a pile of issues that threaten the stability of the practice. According to some providers, they were not made aware of problems like software communication issues (causing missing DX, CPT, and, HCPS, and HIPPS codes when creating a claim- wasting time), unpaid vendor balances (causing subscription suspensions), a substantial amount of unbilled and denied claims- resulting in a lack of or no cash flow.

One provider was up to their ears in debt because of the medical billing services provider’s poor communication. The provider had borrowed against collateral, borrowed from family, sold property, and was struggling to pay expenses and employees. It was a struggle to keep the doors of the practice open even with fully booked patient appointment schedules.

A few providers were denied access to billing and clearinghouse softwares- even though the provider subscribed to the services. The billing services provider changed the login credentials and removed the provider’s phone number and email for 2-step authentication so they were unable to even reset passwords to regain access to the services. Calls and emails to the billing services providers went unanswered; no return calls either. The providers had to call the software companies to regain access.

After suffering that type of loss of control, those providers felt abused, completely shut out, and anxious. It’s safe to say that they were traumatized.

The medical billing services provider should always communicate with the provider.

When partnering with healthcare providers who have experienced the issues mentioned above, it requires the ability to relate to the provider on a human level, a great deal of patience, and understanding, because like I mentioned before, those experiences were traumatic. That is why at Majestic Medical Billing, we pride ourselves on our ability to stand out and show up where it matters. Knowing that it will be no easy task, we earn the provider’s trust by providing excellent communication to include, problem resolution, transparent revenue cycle management productivity and financial reports, responsiveness to phone calls, texts, and emails, meetings scheduled according to the provider’s preference, and after hour assistance. That is our way of providing security, comfort, and accepting accountability and showing the providers that we care about them and their medical practices the way they care for their patients.

Our team at Majestic Medical Billing understands the risk of trying to run a medical practice with poor financial health. So we go the extra mile by performing a complete financial and A/R audit allowing us to gain a clear picture of the practice’s financials and clean start the medical billing process in order of importance.

If you have been traumatized by a medical billing services provider and would like to partner with a medical billing services provider that will actually allow you to focus on quality patient care, contact Majestic Medical Billing today!