Medical Billing itself a complicated process. However, medical billing for Behavioral health is a whole new level of complexity. We make the Behavioral Health Billing Process smoother and more efficient to get paid faster. Behavioral Health billing comes with its own set of unique and complex challenges. Between the types of services offered, unbundling concerns, pre-authorization, and the number of staff and their time availability, behavioral health facilities are often at a disadvantage compared to other health professionals.
By ensuring that the process for Behavioral Health Billing is running error-free you can spend more time and energy focusing on what truly matters – you can focus on your patients.
Why is Behavioral Health Billing So Difficult and Complex?
Medical billing for behavioral health services is more complex than other areas of healthcare of the types of services, scope, time, and restraints placed on behavioral treatments. For an instance, if someone visits a behavioral specialist, one must likely undergo a standard series of tests. This typically includes information like the patient’s height and weight, checking blood pressure, listening to the patient’s heart, and a few other tests if required.
These tests and exams are standardized across all patients, require some amount of time, and slightly differ from patient to patient. In the same way, when providers bill these routine check-ups to healthcare payers, the billing is standardized and repetitive and is often bundled into one overall charge.
However, the very unpredictable and varied nature of behavioral health treatment does not allow the luxury of convenient medical billing to those who practice it. This treatment is much different than other practices. Behavioral health practices include session length, the therapeutic approach, and the location in which services are rendered – all contribute to the complex nature of behavioral health medical billing.
So, are you ready as a behavioral health practitioner, to make smoother your revenue cycle management process smoother and more efficient?
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Patient’s Insurance and Coverage
There can be instances where a patient’s insurance is expired or not renewed on time. Checking the eligibility of each patient is a tedious task but it’s a more essential task to take care of to avoid denials. However, making sure you know the coverage available for patients before their date of service will make sure that you will receive your deserved amount in the first place.
We at Medical Billers and Coders (MBC), make sure each and every patient’s information is up to date in your billing software. We check the patient’s eligibility beforehand so that you will be in a place to ensure that you are getting paid from all payers or directly from the patient at the time of service.
Many insurance providers have online portals where you can quickly and easily verify a patient’s eligibility and benefits. If the insurance provider does not have an online portal or the portal does not answer all of your questions, you can call the insurance company’s helpline number using the patient’s member ID and personal info (DOB, etc.) from their insurance card to discover their benefits.
If you want to make this process smoother, you can reach out to our medical billing experts at 888-357-3226 or email us at info@medicalbillersandcoders.com
FAQs
1. Why is behavioral health billing more complex than other medical billing methods?
- Behavioral Health Billing involves unique challenges like service types, session lengths, and pre-authorization requirements, making it more complex than standard medical billing.
2. How does Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) streamline Behavioral Health Billing?
- MBC ensures smooth billing by verifying patient eligibility, updating information, and handling pre-authorizations to minimize errors and expedite payments.
3. What are common challenges in Behavioral Health Billing?
- Challenges include unbundling services, managing varied session times, handling pre-authorizations, and ensuring accurate billing for diverse therapeutic services.
4. Why is verifying insurance eligibility essential in Behavioral Health Billing?
- Checking eligibility reduces claim denials and ensures timely payment by verifying a patient’s coverage before each service date.
5. How can MBC assist with insurance verification for Behavioral Health Billing?
- MBC’s team verifies patient insurance details beforehand, helping providers avoid claim denials and ensuring accurate payments for all services rendered.
