Practice Management Alert

They say a house divided against itself cannot stand, and the same goes for a medical practice. If there's an adversarial relationship - or no communication at all - between the front office and the billing office, the practice's bottom line will take a hit.
 
Successful billing requires teamwork among everyone in the practice, including front office staff. All too often, however, the front and back offices fail to work together, and sometimes even seem to work against one another. This kind of situation is detrimental not only to the overall mood of the workplace, but also can hurt the practice financially. That's because the information front office staff collect at intake is essential to ensuring proper claims submission. If that information isn't correct or complete, you'll have mounds of rejected claims on the back end, notes Kathy Philip, billing manager with Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates in Oklahoma City, Okla.
 
"A lot of problems arise from not getting enough training," Philip says. As part of this training, have front office staff observe the billing office in action, and vice versa, she suggests. Taking a walk in each other's shoes will go a long way toward making the front and back offices understand how they should work as a unit. (Note: Don't forget to include your physicians in this information-sharing as well.)

"I've worked at both ends of the spectrum and am sympathetic with the front end staff not having time to verify demographics or coverage, and I also know how much the front end affects the back end," says Tammy Trench, CPC, A/R technical advisor with Apex Practice Management in Oklahoma City.
 
As part of the front office's training, consider pointing to examples of incomplete information and show staff members what's missing and the effect of the omission on revenue, Trench offers. Of course, "you don't want to put blame on any one person in front of another coworker or patient," Philip adds.
 
Another suggestion: "Write a policy/procedure for the staff on how to put information in your system and how to apply it," Philip offers. Also, have someone in the billing office available to answer questions from front office staff members whenever they arise, Trench says.
 
Tip: Positive reinforcement is essential. The billing office shouldn't focus solely on examples of what front desk staff does wrong, Trench and Philip agree. Offer suggestions for improvement in a positive manner, and celebrate successes. "Show appreciation when an employee has improved in an area of concern," Philip suggests. A simple "thank you" goes a long way, and shows that you've noticed her success and appreciate the effort.