If you work in the medical billing and coding world, you know that it’s often seen as its own world. But in all reality, it’s connected directly with the patient care experience. Every person that serves in a medical billing role impacts revenue and the success of the medical practice. And oftentimes there are very common problems that arise in urgent care coding and billing. Here are some common problems and how you can help avoid them.
Common Problems in Urgent Care Coding and Billing
Problem #1: Payer contracts that go wrong.
If your clinic has no payer contracts or those that go bad, you see problems in the clinic’s reimbursement. If this is avoided, claims are processed and paid correctly. Be sure that you have contracted with payers in the area well in advance so you don’t have to wait to negotiate contracts later down the road. To avoid this problem, work with contracting experts that understand the inner workings of the negotiation process and work to get you better rates.
Problem #2: Difficulty at the front desk.
When a new patient comes to register, it is an involved process that often yield mistakes. If a patient’s information is not entered correctly or completely overlooked, the claim will be delayed and will probably need to be resubmitted. To avoid errors in this process, train front desk staff to check a patient’s insurance every time and periodically check denied claims to see if there was information entered that was inaccurate at the time of registration.
Problem #3: Wrong code usage or ignoring changes in code.
If medical providers use lower code levels than services performed, the practice could be losing significant money on a daily basis. If documentation habits are incorrect or incomplete, this could mean big changes in the annual revenue of your practice and be detrimental in the long run. Be sure that your medical coding staff stays updated on any changes in code and on track with any changes that could lead to incomplete documentation.
Work With Coding Professionals
Your urgent care clinic can be efficient and thrive, it just takes some close attention to detail and proper training for your employees. For more than 20 years, our team of professionals has worked to make each client’s medical billing more efficient and accurate. Have problems in urgent care coding and billing? Contact us to learn more about how our medical billing services can give you the tools to solve problems with practical solutions.