With increased pressure on medical coding and billing practices, physician groups are finding ways to accelerate the claims process for increased efficiency and faster collection of reimbursements.
Healthcare reforms and cuts in Medicare reimbursements are straining
practice budgets, but a more effective claims process can boost
performance and long-term sustainability.
ASC improvements
Becker's ASC Review outlined a few steps ambulatory surgery centers
can take to speed up medical coding and billing tasks to enhance
revenue cycle management. Physicians should make sure all staff members
understand their unique roles in the claims process and what performance
expectations they should be meeting in light of cuts in Medicare
payments and the new ICD-10 coding system requirements. Often, staff
have varying view of what is needed to successfully complete a claims
process, or are unaware of how their participation may increase denial
rates. Set a collection of goals each month for all staff to strive
toward, and offer guidance to each worker who is unsure of how they can
improve to achieve the desired endpoints.
In addition, ASCs' staff
should take the time to verify all registration information with
patients up front and make corrections immediately to reduce avoidable
errors that delay reimbursement collection. It only takes a few seconds
for workers to go over patient information before the surgery, but that
effort can save significant time and money in the future by preventing a
denial or error. Once the information has been verified and the surgery
is complete, staff should bill patients immediately after surgery to
speed up the process. Medical billing and coding providers
can help physician groups collect patient billing information if they
choose to have payments be automatically deducted, or find a solution
for individuals struggling to afford care, the source reported.
Spine surgery specifics
In an interview with Becker's ASC Review, Marc Cohen,
spine surgeon, discussed medical coding and billing challenges facing
the specialty that require extra time or training to overcome. Cohen
explained the guidelines and protocol in place for approving or denying
spinal surgery may seem unrealistic to many providers and can result in
rejected claims for imperative procedures. Consider consulting with expert coding and billing professionals
who are aware of the various payor intricacies surrounding claims
submissions. Deploying documentation best practices will help simplify
the claims process and reduce denials for qualified patients.