Have you struggled with choosing an outsourced Medical Billing Company?  Is your medical practice overwhelmed with the paperwork of billing and coding?

If you have outsourced your revenue cycle management process, how did you know that the outsourced medical billing and coding services company you are working with was the right fit for your practice? 

With a reputable billing and coding service, physicians can stop focusing on billing issues and get to what’s important: the patient.

Outsourcing your medical billing and coding to a professional healthcare solution company is advantageous for a number of reasons. Understanding what to look for is essential when choosing a company to outsource your medical coding. 

Check out the list below provided by MEREM Healthcare Solutions for the top the things to consider before choosing the best medical billing and coding company for your practice.

Are you still unsure about outsourcing your medical billing and coding? If so, check out our latest article,

“Should You Outsource Your Medical Coding? Yes!”

How Much Is the Medical Billing and Coding Company Willing to Do for You?

Looking for the best fit?  The best medical billing and coding companies perform above the industry average. The most basic medical billing company will provide:

• claim submission,
• carrier follow up,
• payment posting and processing,
• patient invoicing,
• and collections.

You’ll want to seek out and choose a medical billing and coding company that delivers more than the basics. Ask about their specific performance metrics, including net collection ratio, days outstanding, denial/rejection rate and the average number of days in accounts receivable (AR).

For many practices to even consider outsourcing, patient follow-up is key. If a patient fails to pay, you should expect that the billing company you are outsourcing these matters to will pursue that debt, right? Unfortunately, some will not.

Also, does the billing company provide frequent and detailed analytics and reporting to help your practice recognize what they can do to grow? Or do they just provide a bank statement once a month?

Any company that you are considering to partner with should be transparent about the services that they will deliver in order to help you determine which is the best fit for your practice. Choose a company that goes above and beyond the basic credentials. You also want to find an outsourced solution working within your specialty field of medicine.

Choose Experience And Specialty Expertise

When choosing a medical billing company, experience matters. After all, experience can ensure a smooth, problem-free onboarding process.

The number of years a company has been in business matters, but it’s not the only consideration. You also want to look for a company that has worked for a sizable number of years in your particular specialty. This ensures that they fully understand your field and have more intimate knowledge of the specific requirements for medical coding, documentation, compliance, etc. related to your specialty—whether it’s Advanced Imaging and Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, or Gastroenterology.

Perhaps they have only been open for three years, but those three years were spent learning the specific, highly-detailed ins and outs of your specialty. Ask your prospective medical billing companies the following questions before you commit.

• How many years of experience do you have working in your area of expertise and in our area of medicine?
• How many clients in that specialty do you currently have?
• What size practices are you used to managing?

The answers to these questions will help you to weed out the companies who aren’t a good fit and can help ease your mind about partnering with an outsourced healthcare solution that is ready and able to seamlessly take on your practice’s medical billing and coding.

Discuss Technology… The Good and Bad

Technological advances have made for some fancy billing software. Find out what type of software the billing company is using. Does the company understand the full usage of the software? What kind of software education and procedures are in place for their employees?

Your practice wants to ensure there is not a violation of HIPAA privacy rules. A loss of data would most likely shut down your medical practice. Be sure your paperwork is safe and private by asking: 

• How does the medical billing company go about sharing your patient’s data?
• Is there a backup plan in place in case a security breach is made or the system fails? 

At the end of the day, it is essential that you ask all the right questions to ensure that you are getting a full-service medical billing and coding company that can properly handle your practice’s needs. 

Looking for the Best Medical Billing and Coding Services?

Turn to MEREM Healthcare Solutions. Get a free quote and learn more about our uniquely designed support system for revenue cycle and operations management needs. At MEREM, we don’t just provide services, we deliver solutions. 

No matter the size, healthcare organizations need a strategic partner and that is what we are here to provide. Let us help you save time and ensure proper coding for all your medical billing needs. You will feel the difference through the level of dedication and commitment we provide to our clients.