The Most Common Errors in Medical Billing
There are many reasons why your filed claims are denied. Something as simple as an error in your coding or the wrong information can get your claims sent back. What is for certain is that any error causes delays in your reimbursement, which can be devastating to your practice. Knowing the most common errors in filing claims can help you avoid denials and delays.
Below are the most common errors in filing claims
Filing Errors
You’ll find that around 80% of all medical claims have errors. Insurance payers are very strict on any errors you make in coding and billing practices. They will reject your filed claims for the smallest of errors. Your billers must enter the right information and codes to get the claims through. A single mistake from your biller will force them to restart the process. A correct resubmission can take months to reimburse.
Missing the Timely Filing Deadline
All of your patient’s insurance payers have a timely filing deadline. It is the amount of time you are given to file a claim, and it starts from the day you treated a patient. Your claim will be denied even if it’s properly filled once the deadline has passed. Your billers must be cognizant of the deadline for each insurance company. You should install a board or a note on the biller’s computer that they can reference regularly.
Not Complying with Third-Party Requirements
Many of your patient’s insurance payers have their own requirements on top of the standard filing procedure. Be mindful of these requirements because they may cause claim rejections even if your coding and filing process is correct. Make sure your billers have materials to consult regularly to avoid unnecessary rejections.
Failure to Implement Updates
The constant changes in the healthcare industry will make your head spin. You’ll encounter new rules, regulations, and policies regularly. It’s very easy for you to miss updates like new codes or new steps in the filing process. Not keeping up with these changes will cause you unnecessary delays to your reimbursements. You must stay updated by constantly training your billers.
Not Obtaining Prior Authorization
Many of your patient’s insurance payers require prior authorization for every procedure. Your patients must obtain prior authorization prior to the appointment to avoid denials. There are emergencies where you can still get reimbursement without prior authorization. But it’s better to side with caution and get prior authorization before the appointment for a smoother reimbursement procedure.
In the end, you’ll have to contend with filling errors, deadlines, third-party requirements, updates, and prior authorizations if you choose to handle your billing. Getting Synapse to handle your billing takes out all the stressors above and allows you to focus on treating your patients. The medical billing firm offers top to bottom services such as coding, filing claims, credentialing, communicating with insurance companies, and many more.
Visit us today at www.synhs.com to find out how much money we can save you.