CONTENT:
-->
|
1. What makes ETMB different from most other billing firms?
We have found over the years that we have three strengths that allow us to be competitive and provide us continual referrals from our clients:
a. Our approach - we take a consultative approach to your business. Since we come from the healthcare industry and have managed multiple clinics, we can walk in your shoes and understand and anticipate your challenges as a healthcare provider. Call it free consulting, call it what you want – we call it added value – value that we love to share with you.
b. Our experience – we have seen many small start-up billing firms come and go. Since 1989, we have developed many happy clients, who will attest to our consultative approach and work ethic to make your outsourced billing a success.
c. Our fees – We made a decision many years ago that by minimizing labor and real estate costs, and by providing exemplary quality and experience in billing, we could be one of the most competitively priced firms in East Texas - supporting the entire U.S. No set up and no annual contract!
2. Why have most insurance companies stopped sending paper EOBs?
All insurance companies are "going green" by reducing paper & postage costs. There are federal deadlines that are forcing all providers to bill out electronically and also receive EOB's electronically. We actually go and download your EOB's in our mailbox and have software to convert it back to the way you used to see paper EOB's w/patient names and dates of service instead just a lump check in your checking account. This reduces our time in manual posting, saves paper, and gets the patient statements out faster.
3. Why do some billing firms only charge by the claim vs. a percentage of collected revenue?
Many new billing companies will charge you a flat fee per claim because they are normally only skilled in the initial “transmission or submission” of the claim to the insurance company.Frankly, this is something you could do internally. Most tenured billing firms will charge you a percentage of what they collect. They are more compelled to work harder, follow through with secondary submissions, denials and work to get you the highest reimbursement possible – a “win-win” for both.
4. How do I know that my patient data is secure?
We have a state of the art network in our operations center that backs up all client data several times per day with offsite storage for backups and redundancy. We also have a secured building with complete offsite alarm monitoring. Our staff all sign confidentiality agreements and we don’t give out information over the phone to anyone but patients, or responsible parties. Our contract addresses this.
5. How do I know that you will be more effective than our own office staff?
First, one must define billing. We do more than process claims. In short, our timeliness (claims processing), consistency (no leave, no vacation, no absenteeism of staff), accurateness (we do not send out claims that we are not completely confident will be paid), incentives and claim status will generally result in increased cash flow.
6. Should we continue to work our previous billings/collections once you take over?
If possible, we prefer that you continue to work (post payments and re-bill) your existing accounts receivable for a period of three months. If this is not possible, we can handle that as well.
7. How do we get our existing patient data to you?
There are 2 options: 1.) A complete printout (or softcopy) from your existing system. 2.) Provide to us the most current patient information as you see them. This also gives you the opportunity to “start fresh” with your data and have your patients re-register.
8. Will you also be re-submitting for secondary insurance, tertiary?
Secondary and Tertiary resubmissions are included in our service. We suggest having the patient pay because it sometimes takes months to get payment from the tertiary.
9. How quickly do we get reimbursed?
The variance of payers and many outside factors make this a difficult question. However, the average turnaround in the industry is 30-45 days. Obviously, some are more and some are less. You may sometimes see different software or billing firms tout “you will get reimbursed in two weeks with our firm!” The fact is that Medicare/HCFA is required to hold the claim for 13 days for all electronic claims and 23 days for paper submissions. Even for commercial payers, 14 days is an exception and certainly not the rule. The National average for Days In AR (for Family Practice) is 43.
10. Do you transmit claims electronically?
Yes, to those companies that have the capabilities and that are efficient with EMC (Electronic Medical Claims). We do process certain payers on paper only because it has been our experience that those are actually paid faster.
11. How do we get our claims to you?
We can have them emailed, faxed, mailed (USP "Priority Mail") or submitted to us Electronically through secure internet connection.
12. How quickly can billing begin once the contract is signed?
Normally, it takes 2 weeks to set our billing system. There are not any set up costs. We specialize in Medisoft Patient Accounting, but Lytec is also an accounting system available.
13. What is the cost of this service?
We charge 7% of what is paid to your practice. Our fees are based on our performance unlike many services whose fees are based on gross revenue or on "a per claim fee". We don't get paid until the provider gets paid. This means that we re-work all the zero EOB's and appeals. These EOB's do not get tucked away to be worked on later like most billers do that work hourly in an office. Sometimes hourly staff never have a chance to get back to them and they are lost for timely filing.
14. Where will our payments go?
All payments are sent directly to your office or by EFT. We always recommend EFT because if you move your practice, the money will direct deposit into your checking account and give us time to change your address with each insurance company.
|
|
|
Tara Holloway
10 yrs. Experience
Graduate of Texas A&M
BS in Biology
MBA
|
Back to Questions