A rational solution to billing problems.

For many practices, billing is a back-office task to be completed when the patient leaves the office. Historically, medical offices have placed their least experienced personnel at the front desk while the experienced staff remain hidden behind the scenes handling claims. Today's emphasis on customer service, however, has pushed the pendulum so that seasoned personnel are among the first with whom patients interact. Billing is a process that begins at the front desk when the appointment is made. Understanding the billing pipeline and how every action in a practice can contribute to the successful submission of "clean" claims and improved cash flow can encourage the physician and staff to think "billing" during each step of a patient's visit. This article will take you through the steps involved in the billing pipeline from patient registration to final payment or collection agency referral. For each step, we will point out how the actions of the staff affect billing and what can be done to assure accurate, clean claims are submitted promptly.