Three Billing Tips for Small Practices
Small practices, like most small businesses, need steady cash flow to meet their operational costs and obligations. Unlike most small businesses, small practices also have an ethical obligation to provide consistent service and care to patients, which means that their operational stakes are higher. If you are a small practice concerned with your level of service and your bottom line, then it makes sense to investigate your options with scrutiny so as not to undermine quality for the sake of cost. Here are three ways to do just that.
Tip One: Consider Outsourcing
A lean operation employs an efficient staff. In the medical field, staff often work with clients who are stressed and concerned about their health and their ability to pay for it. When a clinic or practice outsources the financial elements of billing, your clients can focus on their health while they are in the medical setting. Your staff can attend to patients’ physical and emotional needs, not their financial ones.
Tip Two: Remember that Low-Cost and High Quality Are Not Always Mutually Exclusive
The adage is that you get what you pay for but the trick is to know what you are paying for. When choosing a billing solution, investigate the efficacy of the software first and the history of the company using it second. Though eClinicalWorks® is a billing software used by many billing agencies, the software might be one of many offered by a third-party. Be aware that options do not equal expertise.
Once you have chosen the software that works for your unique needs, look for a company that provides expert service with that software. Companies that are experts in one billing system usually cost less while retaining high quality service.
Tip Three: Choose a Billing Agency You Trust
This final tip is also related to cost-effectiveness. Choosing a reputable billing service is a long-term investment. Less costly, fly-by-night operations fail to provide the support you and your patients need and they might not be there for the long haul. Patients appreciate consistency and using services like eClinicalWorks® based medical billing and a customer service hotline provides patients with a clear understanding of the billing process, allowing them to focus on their health.
Partnering with a third-party billing agency is one way to build patient loyalty and increase your practice’s efficiency.