When we want to get medical services and it comes to the medical billing process, medical coding cannot be overlooked when the purpose is to ensure that the healthcare providers get all the money for the services they have provided to the patients. There are some important questions about medical billing and coding companies whose answers must be known by the providers.
Many providers fail to collaborate with the medical billing and coding companies because they fail to investigate the capabilities of medical coding. Thus, it is necessary for the service providers to ask some common questions about the company for a long-term successful relationship. This guide explains five common questions about medical billing and coding companies you need to answer truthfully.
Table of Contents
For How Long Have You Been Working In This Field?
We know that medical billing is not an easy task to perform but it has been less complex due to the adoption of the ICD-10. Experience matters a lot in every field of life whether it is a teacher or a doctor, if he is not experienced, he might not produce quality outcomes.
It is not necessary for the experts in this field to be certified but it is really important to have experience and common sense. It is important to understand the coding and billing habits of the physicians.
If you find a company with experienced billers, you may get in contact with great and skillful coders. So, it would be best to be accurate about the years of experience of a medical billing and coding company.
To What Extent is HIPAA Compliant Are You?
Some companies give a statement “We are HIPPA compliant” but they do not tell you to what extent they are HIPPA compliant. The expert service providers are aware that there is no company that is 100% HIPPA compliant. You must be thinking about what is HIPPA compliant.
Let us tell you that when someone or a company satisfies the elements of the security rule and its procedures and policies are developed according to them, it is known as a company that is HIPPA compliant. Whereas HIPPA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability.
It is important for every healthcare service provider to perform an initial assessment, designate a HIPAA security office, designate a compliance officer and perform ongoing periodic assessments. At last, it is necessary for them to record the compliance progress.
Providers definitely do not want patient data and claims to be handled by a novice. So, it is necessary for the providers to ask the company about its associate agreements, document destruction, data security, fax security, equipment destruction, and email security. Thus, the company should be honest about to what extent the company is HIPPA compliant.
Do You Have Any Medical Billing or Coding Certification?
There are different certifications that are available for medical billing and coding companies. These certifications may include Current Procedural Terminology, Certified Inpatient Coder, Registered Health Information Technician, Registered Health Information Administrator, and Certified Professional Coder.
In your answer, you need to identify the certifications you have. If you do not have any certification, you should be honest instead of lying because it may have a bad impression on the providers. No doubt, the certified companies are considered by people for better outcomes so you should answer about the certifications truthfully.
How Do You Deal With Coding Related Denials?
The denied claims are a part of reality, the major task is to handle the denials or avoid them for getting the best and most remarkable financial outcomes. It is important for tracking the coding denials so that they could be trended for identifying the systematic areas of concern.
When you are asked about how you deal with coding-related denials or what methods you use to avoid them, you should be honest in answering it. For example, if you use AdvantEdge for this purpose, you should describe how you use it and how it is beneficial in handling denied claims.
How Often Do You Audit Your Practice’s Documentation?
It is important for the medical billing and coding companies as well as the service providers to be aware of the relationship between coding and documentation. The purpose is to stay compliant. If you are taking advantage of AdvantEdge, you should tell how beneficial it is to conduct a formal audit.
You should be honest about the auditing of your practice’s documentation. You can also provide the time period in which you conduct the auditing process. You can also tell about the tool you use for auditing purposes.
FAQs
What type of questions are asked about medical billing and coding companies?
These questions are majorly related to the experience and certification of the medical billing and coding companies where the skills and knowledge matter a lot.
Is it difficult to perform medical billing and coding?
No doubt, it is a complex task to perform but it is not impossible. Education and training are required for this purpose.
How do I know whether my company is HIPPA compliant or not?
You need to check the operations of your company and make sure that they are working according to the regulations of HIPAA. If not, then your company is not HIPAA compliant.
Conclusion
You should be honest in all your dealings. When it comes to medical billing and coding companies, it is necessary, to be honest, and truthful with every question you are asked about. You should not lie even about your experience or degree. This guide has mentioned some important questions about medical billing and coding companies you need to be honest about.
