Tips for Medical Billing in Multi-Specialty Practices

Multi-specialty practices come with many complexities and complications – especially regarding billing.
With the ever-changing medical codes and regulations, losing oneself in the process is relatively easy. With a thoughtful eye to handling your billing details, it is possible to get proper reimbursements. Furthermore, medical billing services for multi-specialty practices differ significantly from single-specialty practice billing.

Multi-Specialty Practices and Medical Billing

When it comes to multiple-specialty practices, a patient might need to see an internist in the morning and a cardiologist later that same day. Both providers offer the patient E&M (Evaluation and Management) services.
How can you ensure that both of these providers get paid?
This is where multi medical billing specialties can benefit from outsourcing billing processes and reap the benefits of third-party billing services. Our team at Physicians Revenue Group. Inc. is proficient in all multi-specialty billing scenarios.

Challenges of Multi-Specialty Medical Billing Services

The complexity of healthcare billing services morphs into a new dimension regarding multiple-specialty practices. With varying services, multi-specialty practices face unique and somewhat complex hurdles in billing processes.
Let’s explore these challenges:

1. Range of Billing Codes

The range of billing and coding for multi-specialty practices expands significantly. Every medical specialty has unique billing and CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes. For instance, an orthopedic surgeon’s code will undoubtedly differ from a cardiologist’s.
Thus, properly tracking the diverse codes and then using them accurately becomes challenging.

2. Higher Probability of Errors

Considering the sheer size of the billing and the complexity associated with the varying codes and payer rules, Multi-specialty practices face an increasing risk of errors. Even more minor mistakes in entering medical codes or insurance details can result in underpayments or claim denials. Furthermore, both of these situations can disrupt your practice revenue.

3. Dealing with Patient Expectations

Most patients go for multiple-specialty practices to receive a range of services in a single location. They might also expect a consolidated single bill instead of multiple bills for each specialty. Meeting these kinds of expectations while also ensuring the proper division of charges and then making it viable across various departments is another challenge in itself.

Meeting Compliance Standards with Multiple Regulations

Each medical specialty can be subject to different and subjective state and federal regulations. Moreover, it becomes more challenging with medical documentation. Further, ensuring compliance standards with diverse regulations spanning multi-specialty practices does add another layer of billing complexities.
While medical billing for multiple specialties can present a labyrinth of new challenges – these are effectively navigable through the following:

Careful Planning
Proper Training
Efficient use of Technology

Practical Approaches for Multi-Specialty Medical Billing

While the challenges above can be intimidating, they are not impossible. Below are some practical strategies for streamlining your multiple specialty medical billing:

1.Investing in a Billing Software

Dedicated medical billing software can handle all the complexities of multi-specialty practices and their billing processes, further minimizing manual errors. The medical billing software stays up-to-date with the latest billing and coding advancements, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Below is a complete rundown of the top 5 medical billing software:

Consistent Training and Education

Ongoing and consistent education and training for billing staff are necessary. Familiarizing with the nuances of varying specialties and the payer rules can assist in dramatically reducing errors and further improve reimbursement rates.

3.Outsourcing Medical Billing Service

Another workable solution is outsourcing medical billing operations to a professional third-party provider like PRG. Such services and experts are specialists in handling the complexities of billing multi-specialty practices. Furthermore, by outsourcing billing operations, your staff can focus more on patient care.

3.Structure Regular Audits

Equally important are regular audits of your billing processes. Doing so can catch billing and coding errors before they lead to claims denials. Medical billing audits additionally provide opportunities for assessing and improving your practice billing efficiencies.

Conclusion

Multi-specialty medical billing can be an imposing task. Furthermore, navigating the complexities of the varying billing codes and payer rules, and that too across multiple specialties, necessitates dedication and expertise.
Physicians Revenue Group, Inc., rises to the challenge and offers comprehensive healthcare billing services catering to multi-specialty practices.