After the nation witnessed some remarkable medical reforms, healthcare providers and US medical billing companies found it really hard to come up with the new challenges. Although they tried to adapt to these changes, the impact was large enough that US medical billing companies still struggle to manage medical coding services. As operating costs rise and patients with high-deductible health plans increase, managing AR (Accounts Receivable) has also become a herculean task. Mounting accounts receivable means reduced cash flow. This is the situation in most of the US medical billing companies and their revenue cycle have been affected badly. In this article let’s learn what Accounts Receivable management is and how to manage aging AR prudently:
What is Accounts Receivable Management?
Accounts Receivable (AR) is the money owed to Providers or medical billing companies for the medical care rendered to patients. The generated invoices are sent out to insurance companies or patients for payment. It is important that the staff keep a tab on the AR and see if the payments reach on time. In simple words, Accounts Receivable Management is a collection of processes such as, identifying denied/unpaid claims, re-filing the corrected claims, minimizing AR days, and eliminating aged AR.
Manage Denials: Identifying the root cause for claim denials is one of the important processes in Accounts Receivable management. The staff must be highly skilled to analyze the reason for claim rejection, correct the claims and re-file without delay. Also, it is essential to examine denial patterns and find proper solutions to eradicate future occurrence of denials.
Timely Follow-up: Following up on the AR on a timely basis is very important for uninterrupted cash flow.A good Accounts Receivable management team will keep track of all claims that have been filed. Also, it will execute an action plan immediately if the claims are not paid within the 30-day time limit. The team will also ensure that there is no underpayment or overdue payment.
Patient Follow-up: After the introduction of self-pay, medical billing companies had to rely more on the patients than insurance companies for payments. If there is any outstanding balance, the Accounts Receivable management team should follow-up with patients through phone calls or emails, so there are no delays. Good patient-provider relationship is the key to timely payments. Another best practice is to explain the patients about their financial responsibilities before providing the care.
Periodical Audits and Reports: One of the top qualities of a good Accounts Receivable management team is conducting audits frequently to learn areas of improvement, check for problems, and assess risks. Then, the team submit reports on the audits conducted. Such reports include aging AR reports, outstanding payment report and more. These reports will ensure there are no future claim denials and payments reach on time.
About e-care India:
With huge responsibilities mounting over their shoulders, US medical billing companies struggle with AR management. Therefore, it would be a great idea to outsource medical billing and services to an experienced offshore medical billing company in India. One such reputed company is e-care India. With over 15 years of experience, e-care has been providing unparalleled Accounts Receivable management and medical billing and coding services to its clients. This medical billing company in India is HIPAA compliant and has twin ISO certifications to ensure high patient data security. To know more about e-care and its services, log on to www.ecareindia.com.