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Are you a dermatologist struggling with administrative burden? The fact is that as a healthcare provider, your primary focus should be providing quality care to the patients. However, it doesn’t mean that you can afford to ignore your revenue cycle. Medical billing is indeed an integral part of your practice, and it can be a quite complicated task to navigate through the intricate insurance landscape. In this blog post, we will explore the common challenges that dermatologists face in medical billing and provide some tips to overcome them. So, let’s dive in!
As a dermatologist, your EMR needs are very specific. It is not a simple process to select a Dermatology billing software which meets all your medical billing requirements.
What is Dermatology Medical Billing
Dermatology medical billing refers to the process of submitting claims and receiving payment for medical services provided by you as a dermatologist. Dermatologists are specialists in treating various skin conditions. They specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of various skin disorders. Dermatology medical billing is an essential part of a practice’s revenue cycle, as successful billing is directly responsible for a healthcare business’s financial health.
When you record on paper, there are high chances of data getting lost or being disorganized during the entire medical billing process. Billing software makes it easier to digitize the records, so they are easy to organize and kept secure.
With proper dermatology billing software like Unify Medicraft, the early detection and treatment of various skin conditions have become easier. Dermatology medical billing is an important component of every healthcare practice which ensures the seamless operation of medical practices along with safeguarding patients’ well-being. When your billing process is accurate, it not only keeps the practice financially fit but also makes sure that patients receive the necessary care without any kind of strain.
Challenges is Dermatology Medical Billing
Challenges Regarding Documentation
There are various reasons to ensure that the documentation you provide is accurate. It acts as a legal document that will prove what services were rendered, why those services were rendered and why the patient came to the provider. If the situation arises, this documentation can also act as evidence in a court of law. Apart from that, it is essential for ensuring accurate reimbursement for the various procedures performed.
Different Systems for Coding
Coding systems are followed for the procedures performed by physicians after the patient arrives. Reimbursement is provided by the Insurance companies provide based on these coding systems. In a general sense, providers must use The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ICD-10-CM is the standard transaction code set for diagnostic purposes. In ICD-10, the codes for diagnosis are much more detailed, typically 3 to 7 characters in length and start with an alpha character.
Every kind of inpatient and outpatient procedure is indicated with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). To bill for in-office procedures like skin biopsies, destructions, excisions, and Mohs surgery, Dermatology practices use many of these codes.
Dermatology Billing Compliance
If you don’t have prior knowledge regarding dermatology billing, it can lead to overuse of modifier 25 and modifier 59. If we talk about modifier 25, it is defined as “significant, separately identifiable (E/M) service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure.” On the other hand, modifier 59 is defined as Distinct Procedural Service. There are certain circumstances where it may be important to indicate that a procedure or service was independent from other non-E/M services that were performed on the same day.
Outdated patient information
Various dermatologists find it challenging to collect the latest insurance information from their patients. However, it is an important part to ensure the updated patient’s information in order to get paid and avoid any kind of claim denials. When you double-check insurance information, it can save your practice months of unpaid claims time.
The challenges in the entire billing process are inevitable. However, with proper tips and strategies, these challenges can be eliminated.
Tips for Effective Dermatology Medical Billing
Submission of Claims on Time
If you want to increase your chances of full reimbursement from the payer, timely claim submission is a must. Make sure you make it your priority for your back office to file claims daily. This helps to improve your clean claims ratio.
Determine Co-Pays at Time of Service
You must have a proper mechanism to determine in advance the co-pay each patient owes you. There should be an official policy to collect payments in advance. Your front-desk staff must sort out if there are any issues with the patients who refuse to make the payment.
Frequently Update & Verify Patient Insurance
The patients who are your most frequent visitors are reluctant to share information and give their insurance cards each time they come in for a treatment. However, make sure that you check patient insurance every time they come. This helps to handle the things in an appropriate manner with the insurer.
Track & Follow-Up on Unpaid Claims
You should keep track of submitted claims which helps you to know “what you’re not being paid for” and “what you’re being paid”. If a claim takes longer than sixty days to be paid, follow up before you resubmit. Sometimes all it takes to get your claim handled by a payer is a phone call.
Features Of Unify Medicraft: Your Dermatology Billing Software
When you choose medical billing software to manage the coding and billing procedures in your dermatology practice, you will be able to handle your patient information and data more effectively. Unify Medicraft, professional software for your dermatology practice, comes with the following features.
Get Customized Templates
We know that as a dermatologist you are exposed to treating various skin conditions from rashes to insect bites, and more. It means that your patients’ needs vary. With various specialized templates available, the treatment of patients can be easier and quicker.
Personalized Dashboard
The feature of the Dashboard is extremely helpful in managing the day-to-day tasks of your healthcare practice. Through the personalized dashboard, you can review tasks and assign tasks to other staff members.
Proper Lab Integration
When you have proper integration and lab connections through your EMR, it is helpful for receiving quicker lab results and hence patients can receive treatment faster.
Practice Management Solutions
One of the fast and effective ways to finish and manage clinical tasks and document patient encounters is with Dermatology specific Practice Management (PM) solutions by Unify Medicraft.
Patient Engagement Tools
It is important to engage patients when they are connected to you. Patient engagement tools like patient portal helps patients to get control over their billing process. It assists them to schedule appointments online and communicate with their doctor with the help of messaging, email or video securely.
Coding & Billing Services
You will have your coding and billing process sorted with us. Our smart billing solutions offer advanced functionalities for checking claims, e-claim submission, and denial management. This reduces the chances of any human errors.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is obvious that the spectrum of dermatology demands precise documentation and coding for accurate reimbursement. However, in the entire process of getting reimbursed, there are various chances for errors that can impact the financial health of your healthcare practice. That’s where Unify Medicraft, a smart dermatology billing software, is going to help you.
Over the years, we have served Multiple healthcare providers. Our billing teams possess diverse experience in serving dermatologists in various specializations nationwide. It includes:
- Cosmetic Dermatology
- Dermatological
- Procedural Dermatology
- Dermatopathology
- Dermato-epidemiology
- Immuno-dermatology
- Hair Transplantation
- Oncology
- Pediatric Dermatology
It is time for you to detect & prevent revenue leaks and secure higher reimbursements through meticulous coding and billing operations with Unify Medicraft.