Practice tip of the week: Billing mistakes to avoid

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With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site. In this July 2024 article on ways to avoid common billing mistakes, Avery Hurt, gives this tip:

Bill the right payer

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s actually an easy mistake to make. Lake offers a good example of how this can happen. Say a patient comes in and gives you his Medicare card. The front desk carefully records the information, and billing submits the charge to Medicare. But the claim is rejected, maybe even from the clearinghouse.

The problem? The patient thinks he’s on Medicare, but his policy is actually with Blue Cross, United Health Care or another Medicare Advantage plan. The easiest way to avoid this kind of mistake is to always verify insurance at check-in.

Click here to read the rest of the article and be sure to check back next week for another Tip of the Week!