Why Medical Billing Services Are So Important for Pediatricians

Pediatricians help to keep children healthy and safe, which is no small feat. A pediatrics practice is different from other types of medical offices in several ways. These differences make medical billing services even more helpful and beneficial for pediatrics offices than for other types of practices.

Pediatricians Spend More Time with Patients

Pediatricians tend to spend much more time with each patient than doctors in other practices. Since the patients are children, pediatricians cannot depend on patients to understand how to communicate medical issues or to understand recommended treatments and lifestyle changes. Parents are often worried, so explaining diagnoses and treatments may take more time. Additionally, doctors may need to observe patients for several minutes to assess development and try to spot issues. For all of these reasons, doctors may spend a large amount of time with each patient. Medical coding varies depending on the amount of time spent in visits and the way that the time in the visits was used for the particular patient. These differences in coding can mean big changes in the amount that is paid out for the insurance claim, so having assistance with medical billing can help to ensure that a practice is properly reimbursed for time spent.

Parents See Pediatricians without Patient

If a child is diagnosed with a condition or illness, it is not uncommon for the parent to see the pediatrician without the child to follow up. This time can and should still be billed to the insurance company. All components of each visit should be documented with the amount of time spent so that the service can be properly billed. It may get confusing and a single error can affect the amount of reimbursement or even the claim acceptance status, so a medical billing service can help.

Insurance Transitions Are Necessary for Newborns

Pediatrics offices face special challenges in transitioning newborns from the mother’s insurance to a separate policy. The process must be executed properly and all coding must be input properly every step of the way to ensure prompt payment. A medical billing service can help save the office time and frustration trying to figure out exactly how to perform transitions and bill properly, which is time that can be better spent taking on more patients or providing great service to existing patients.

Common Services Can Be Costly

Common services that are performed at pediatrics offices, such as vaccines, can be costly for the practice. Billing even a few procedures incorrectly can have a big impact on the revenues. Medical billing services can help to mitigate errors and make sure that the highest claims reimbursements possible are obtained for each service. This can have substantial benefit for a pediatrics practice, ensuring a good return for services performed. If you feel that your pediatrics practice could benefit from medical billing services, call 888-783-7818.

For informational purposes only.