The billing office of the emergency department is under strict guidelines to meet the requirements of all billing and coding regulations as imposed by federal regulations. It’s a process that requires attention to detail, knowledge of codes for medical procedures and treatments and knowledge of the complete billing protocol. Failure to comply with the necessary standards could result in delay or default of payment from the responsible party. In order for the emergency department to function productively as a health care unit, there must be extremely knowledgeable professionals in place. The billing stall must be highly capable of conducting the necessary procedures associated with patient billing. This is a position that requires continuous training and full attention to the many details associated with the proper management of ER billing.
External Help
There are several options for external billing services to help with the proper management of patient accounts facilitated in the ER. This is a process that enlists the assistance of an outside source to oversee the billing protocol and immediate response from the responsible party. The significance of the outside billing company in comparison to an in-house staff is that they are dedicated to the ER accounts they’ve been assigned. The area of specialty for the billing firm is the only task they are responsible for handling. The regulations, code assignments and any policies that must be adhered too are always observed by external billing agencies. Another main significance is that there is no need for the ER department to staff a billing department and lose money in salaries when they utilize the services of a billing company.
The Selection Process
Because of the strict policies that are in place regarding the billing process, hiring a billing company should be a very involved procedure. Careful review, quality insight and client satisfaction are always strong characteristics of a viable EM billing company. Their expertise and professionalism should be a foundation for the type of service they will provide for all of their clients. Most external billing services will offer support in various areas of the billing sector as well. This is very much needed for those offices that may need more than a simple billing claim filed. Once a careful review of the external company has been conducted, the billing technique is one less task the department has to handle.
EM Billing is one of the most important parts of the operation of an emergency room.
