axiUm
Insurance Processing and Collections
We are making positive headway with collections. We are submitting most of the pre-doc insurance claim forms through e-claims and MDE. The new system is giving us a faster turnaround time than we previously have had. We get denials instantly. It used to take a month or more to know if a patient was not covered. By that time, the treatment was done, the patient was out the door and we had to try to collect from them directly, which is not very effective. For the claims that were legitimate, they were being processed and paid at around a 60 to 90 day rate. Emdeon (previous claims batcher, who did not process Delta Dental) took 3 weeks. We’re now receiving payments in a 1 to 2 week period now. At minimum, we’re two weeks ahead with receiving payments…in some cases, we’re 2 months ahead, particularly when the insurance company is requesting additional information.
Also, our day of service collection rate for predocs is up 39%. Our rate for payment other than day of is up 15%. This is a direct result of putting financial locks on the charts. It was done in Windent, but was hit or miss…could be overridden. Patients must pay co-pays and past due payments before any work can be done. We expect to get even better with the partnering of the front desk people with each General Practice Group. Beginning in August, a Patient Account Coordinator is assigned to one GP group. They will work directly with the students and patients in the group to make sure the patients understand their financial obligation for the visit and will collect the money/credit card from the patient in the chair to eliminate the long lines at the end of the clinic session. The employees are really excited about this and feel very good about being a insurance/billing specialist.
Rx Printing
Soon we will have the capacity to write and print prescriptions through axiUm. Printers have been ordered (they are special) and we have the plan of where they will be kept. For the predocs, it is in the dispensaries so that we can make sure there is no misuse of the system.
Categories Deans blog