7 Tips to Improve the Bottom Line at ENT Practices & Clinics
If you have noticed that your ENT practice or clinic has not been as financially successful as it should be for all of the hours that you put in each month, it might be time to step things up and hire a professional. Healthcare consulting services can provide practice managers and administrators with the services and tools that they need to succeed. Offside CPA audits, account receivables management training, and support for staff to improve everything from policies for insurance verification and coding skills for faster Medicare reimbursement can be provided through MD Pro Solutions.
Tip #1 – Smart Scheduling
One way that practices tend to lose money is through poor staff scheduling programs. Take a look at your existing schedule and compare it to all of the days when you had to pay overtime or bring someone in on their day off because of scheduling mix-ups. There will always be unexpected sick days, especially during flu season, but for the most part, you can avoid these extra costs by merely examining your staff schedule.
Tip #2 – Patient Appointments
Another way that many practices lose out on money is through policies for patient appointments. Do you have fees for no shows or policies for patient appointment cancellations? It is important to be upfront with your patients, post a notice in the reception area, and remind patients when they call on the phone so they will know that they will be charged if they don’t follow the rules. You also need to examine your schedule to see if you are overbooking or underbooking appointments. While the providers’ schedules should be as full as possible, you also don’t want to overwhelm them and cause everyone to wait longer than necessary to be seen.
Tip #3 – Patient Forms
A lot of time can get wasted having patients fill out forms before they are seen. The information is essential for insurance verification and Medicare reimbursement, but there is a better way. Emailing forms to patients or offering them as a download option on your website can help to reduce the amount of time spent filling out forms at the office. Have them fill out the requested information, print out the forms, and bring them to the office on their appointment date. This will help to streamline the process and ensure that everyone is prepared. BONUS – you can even include a signed acknowledgment form regarding fees for no shows and cancellations, so patients are aware of your policies.
Tip #4 – Reminders
Taking a few minutes to follow-up with patients to remind them about visits can help to increase revenues. Make sure that your staff is making these phone calls and keeping a log of the information that they collect from patients over the phone about their appointments. Preventive appointments, return visits, testing, and other scheduled visits should all be listed on a daily log that your team can use to contact each one individually. This personal touch means so much more than a postcard or robo-call reminder.
Tip #5 – Medical Billing Review
Work with MD Pro Solutions to get a complete review of your entire medical billing solution. This is designed to make sure that you are taking advantage of all the benefits associated with your chosen billing service. We can suggest additional tools and offer options that you can use to help improve your current billing services through training, education, and support for your entire staff.
Tip #6 – Coding Skills
Delays in payment, as well as rejections and denials of claims, are just some of the symptoms of a team that is not up-to-date on current regulations and requirements for medical billing and coding. Offside CPA audits and other evaluations can be performed to ensure that your staff is using the proper codes for ENT treatments, diagnoses, and services. Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, as well as insurance providers, can reject, deny, and delay payments if you do not submit a proper claim for services rendered. Get back on track with education, training, and support for your billing department.
Tip #7 – Account Receivables Management
We know that administrators and office managers are very busy, but staying on top of account receivables management can help you to improve your bottom line and ensure the best possible patient services. When done properly, you can reduce the amount of time spent on collecting account receivables, processing claims, and worrying about cash flow.
Contact MD Pro Solutions
If you are interested in learning more about the services available for Otolaryngology practices and clinics with MD Pro Solutions, give us a call at 508-946-1665. We provide a wide range of options, including account management, auditing and reviews, credentialing services, training and support, educational programs, and outsourced services, depending on your needs. Call today for a FREE initial evaluation!