Like every other commercial entity, an emergency medical services (EMS) organization needs to keep accurate track of its accounts receivables. The billing process can get a little complicated for EMS providers because they have to deal with different patients, institutions, agencies and regulations. Billers also have to wear different hats throughout the billing process. They need to check for Medicaid and Medicare compliance, verify the client’s insurance coverage, prepare and submit forms, and follow up when there’s information missing with what they offered.
It’s easy to get lost in all the work that needs to be done. To make your billing process more efficient and ensure your billing information’s accuracy, your emergency medical services organization needs to find the best EMS billing software. This doesn’t necessarily mean choosing the most expensive option in the market; instead, it’s about getting the solution that fits the unique needs of your EMS organization. Here are some of the essential functionalities you should see in an excellent billing solution designed for emergency medical services providers.
Offer Billing Analytics
Many EMS organizations readily invest in-field equipment but neglect to upgrade their solutions to manage their internal processes. It’s not unusual to see providers that still rely on a hybrid billing system with paper and digital components. While this strategy may seem like a sound way to save money initially, it prevents the company from modernizing its processes and enjoying the full benefits of a quick, innovative, and highly efficient billing system.
One of the things that more traditional EMS organizations miss out on is billing analytics or using analytical tools to discover, analyze, and interpret billing data. EMS providers who use billing analytics can have comprehensive visibility over the data in their billing system, and they can evaluate these same data without consuming a lot of time and resources. The insights they get from organizing and analyzing all of this complex information allow them to make informed financial and billing-related decisions more quickly. If your organization has access to billing analytics, you can quickly identify the inefficiencies in your billing system and refine these steps to improve your overall process.
Integration with ePCR
One of the most common reasons why claims are denied is because of incomplete patient care reports. The more complete the patient’s information is, the easier it is to establish medical necessity – an essential requirement for reimbursing your claims. Further, if your claim gets denied, you have to check back in with your staff to get the correct information from the patient. All of that takes time and lengthens your accounts receivable cycle.
If your EMS billing solution is not integrated with ePCR, you’ll need to transfer data from the ePCR to your billing solution. This process increases the chances for information to be entered erroneously, resulting in your claim being denied. Sometimes, billers would make up false information just so the claim can be submitted successfully, which puts you at risk of defrauding insurance or government agencies.
Automate Bill Schedules
Getting a billing solution that allows you to automate billing schedules, queues, and follow-ups can make your billing process much easier and more responsive. This feature allows you to set up particular actions that should be carried out after a procedure is complete, a set period, or once you get a detailed response.
For example, you can arrange for the invoice to be automatically sent a day or two after services were rendered and again a week later if you cannot get a response. You can also set up how you want to handle approved and rejected claims. Automating these small tasks will allow your billers to focus on more critical issues that require human attention and decision-making.
Carry Out Real-Time Processing and Remittance
The capability to carry out real-time processing and remittance is a must for any billing software designed for a modern EMS provider. Real-time payment is here to stay, and your EMS organization should be able to provide this service to your patients and partners if you want to maintain your competitive edge. Also, the capability to process and remit billing updates in real-time will enable you to shorten your accounts receivable cycle so you can get the cash you need to run your business faster.
Conclusion
A billing program with all these capabilities is key to providing you with accurate and timely billing analytics to help you gain insight into your billing processes so you can make immediate adjustments. It’s also a powerful tool that can help you modernize your strategies to suit the needs and demands of the organizations and people you serve. Make sure to look for these features when shopping for your next billing program. Better yet, find an all-in-one EMS software that offers modern solutions for every aspect of your organization’s operations.