Your billing team is working hard, but claims keep coming back with errors. Payments are taking longer than they should, and your staff is spending more time fixing mistakes than getting new claims out the door.
Could your medical coding process be part of the problem?
Medical coding outsourcing services give your practice access to trained coders without hiring more employees. But how do you know when it’s time to bring in outside help?
What Are Medical Coding Outsourcing Services?
Medical coding outsourcing services let you hand off some or all of your coding work to an outside team. Whether you need to clear a backlog, manage your daily workload, or both, outsourced coders can take some of the pressure off your team.
Outsourced coders can:
- Review medical records and assign diagnosis and procedure codes
- Check that codes match the care documented
- Keep up with coding guidelines and updates
- Identify missing or unclear documentation
- Review coding errors and help prevent repeat problems
When Should You Outsource Medical Coding?
You don’t have to wait until your billing department is overwhelmed. Here are five signs it’s time for extra support.
Your Claims Keep Getting Denied
Incorrect codes, missing modifiers, and codes that don’t match patient records can lead to rejected or denied claims.
Your team has to stop what they’re doing to track down errors, fix them, and resubmit claims. Meanwhile, new claims keep coming in, leaving your staff stuck playing catch-up.
Experienced coders can catch many mistakes before claims are submitted.
Your Staff Can’t Keep Up
Maybe you’ve added another provider, started seeing more patients, or lost a team member. Now your coders are stretched thin, and everyone’s scrambling to keep up.
When your team is already working at full speed, even one person taking a day off can throw things off. Outside coders can share the workload, so your team isn’t stretched to its breaking point.
You’re Having Trouble Hiring Coders
Finding qualified coders isn’t always easy. You need people who understand coding rules, insurance requirements, and your specialty.
Hiring and training take time. And when an employee leaves, you have to start over.
Outside coders can give you the support you need without the constant struggle of hiring and keeping qualified staff.
Your Accounts Receivable Is Growing
When coding falls behind, claims may sit for days before your billing team can submit them. That means money your practice is counting on takes longer to come in.
If coding delays are part of the problem, outsourced medical coding can help get claims submitted sooner.
Coding Rules Are Getting Harder to Manage
Medical coding guidelines change regularly. Your team needs to stay current with ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes, along with insurance company rules.
Outsourced coders can stay on top of these changes, so your team has one less thing to juggle.
What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing Medical Coding?
When your coding runs smoothly, the rest of your billing process has a better chance of staying on track.
Depending on your needs, outsourcing may offer:
- Fewer coding errors: Trained coders can improve accuracy and reduce avoidable denials.
- Faster turnaround: Extra help can keep coding from falling behind.
- Lower staffing costs: You may save on recruiting, training and employee benefits.
- Flexible support: Adjust services as your workload changes.
- More time for your team: Staff can focus on patients, billing follow-up and other tasks.
Outsourcing won’t guarantee every claim gets paid, but it can make your billing process easier to manage.
What Should You Look for in a Medical Coding Outsourcing Company?
Not every coding company will be the right fit. Before choosing a partner, ask about:
- Specialty experience: Do their coders understand your practice’s services?
- Qualifications: Do they have certified coders with credentials such as CPC or CCS?
- Accuracy: How do they check work and correct mistakes?
- Turnaround times: How quickly can they complete coding?
- Communication: Can your team get quick answers to coding questions?
- HIPAA compliance: How do they protect patient information, and will they sign a business associate agreement?
- Reporting: Can you track coding accuracy and completed work?
You should also understand their pricing and what’s included.
Get Reliable Medical Coding Outsourcing Services With Oclinicals
Your team has enough on its plate without coding problems slowing things down. With the right support, you can spend less time worrying about backlogs and more time keeping your practice running smoothly.
Oclinicals offers medical coding outsourcing services that fit the way your practice works. Whether you need to outsource all your coding or just part of it, we’ll work with you to find the right solution.
Contact Oclinicals today to talk about your coding needs and find out how we can make your team’s job easier.