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Will your billing service increase my practice income?
Yes! The number one consideration for using an outside billing service should be to increase practice income. PBA typically raises practice income for its clients a minimum of 25% to over 35%. The larger the practice, the greater the increase. Keep in mind that if you do not have time to follow-up on unpaid insurance claims or are not following up on all patient owed balances, then you are losing a significant portion of your income. Co-pays alone can be as much as 20-40% of your income. (back to top)
I have my own computer system and software. Can your service still increase my practice income?
Yes! PBA uses a high end practice management system, but it’s not just our computers, it’s our staff expertise in mental health billing that makes the difference. From data input, to tracking insurance claims or slow-paying accounts, it’s our total commitment to your practice that produces the results you want and justifies our services. (back to top)
Will your billing service replace the need for my staff?
It all depends on the size of your practice. PBA replaces your need for billing staff but you may still want to keep administrative help for scheduling, filing, and obtaining authorizations. With less time spent on billing, your employees will be able to focus on these other support tasks. (back to top)
What if I don't have office staff?
Many of our clients are solo practictioners with limited or no administrative staff. In that case, our professional staff will coordinate billing directly with the provider. (back to top)
Do you handle authorizations?
It is the provider's responsibility to handle all authorizations and treatment plans. We do, however, have an on-line system that can assist you in keeping track of this information. Also, if claims deny for no authorization, we will handle the follow-up and appeals. (back to top)
Are all payments sent to my address?
Yes! With PBA, all insurance and patient payments are mailed directly to you. Our toll-free phone number is on each patient statement and insurance claim so that billing inquiries will come to our office where we handle the problems. (back to top)
Will I stay informed about my practice?
Yes! PBA clients are able to check patient account balances, claim status and print out financial reports through our web-based system. We can also mail out monthly reports, upon request. (back to top)
Can I speak to someone over the phone when I have a question?
Yes. Each practice is assigned a personal account manager who gets to know your practice. You receive the email address and direct telephone extension of the account manager, so if you ever have any questions, you can always get in touch with him or her. When your account manager has questions or needs information, s/he will contact you via phone, email or fax. We believe good communication with our clients is an important part of the billing. (back to top)
What is your fee for services?
There is a $200 initial registration fee after which we charge a % of monthly income for practice plus a small administrative fee. The fee is negotiated on an individual or practice by practice basis, depending upon the type of practice (individual, group or clinic) and billing volume. (back to top)
Are there any other costs?
The only other cost is for custom printed envelopes for your patient billing. These include remit envelopes for patients to mail back payments directly to your office. PBA pays for all postage, electronic billing fees, HCFA forms, telephone, training, software updates and maintenance costs. (back to top)
Are you HIPAA compliant?
Yes. All of our staff follow HIPAA guidelines regarding protected health information (PHI) and patient privacy. Our software vendor and clearinghouse for billing electronic claims are also certified HIPAA compliant. Our HIPAA policies are outlined in the Trading Partner agreement we provide to our clients. (back to top)
Is there a long term contract?
There is no long term contract. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may terminate services at any time, provided you give us 30 days notice. We make this offer because most of our clients are extremely satisfied with our services. PBA has been in business since 1994 and has many long term clients. (back to top)
How do I get started?
Call us at 800-650-6334 ext. 24. We will ask questions about your current billing situation and customize a service plan that best meets your needs. We then send you a Letter of Agreement and a New Provider Enrollment Packet. The packet includes a provider information sheet, HIPPA trading partner agreement, electronic authorizations and other paperwork needed to set up your practice. (back to top)
How do I send you the data?
Our clients send us data in several different ways. Some of our solo providers use a monthly (or bi-monthly) logsheet which we can provide for them. They send this to us via Priority Mail along with eobs and facesheets, or scan the data and email it. Larger practices prefer the on-line appointment scheduler to transmit appointment data via the internet. We will suggest the method that would work best for your type of practice. (back to top)
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