Author Topic: need some tips  (Read 10469 times)

margemib

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need some tips
« on: September 28, 2009, 02:35:02 PM »
I needs some tips on how to get to a office manager when you make a follow up call after sending out marketing brochures, some of the woman that answer the phone give you the third degree and when they find out you are a billing service you can forget it.
margemib ???
Margie Finlay CMRS

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2009, 03:19:45 PM »
Right off the bat you have to ease their minds and ease them into a conversation about THEM and the problems they have.
Never try to go around the Office manager to get to the doctor because you will fail.
In doing follow-up I always ask to speak to the office or billing manager.
Linda Walker
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margemib

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2009, 03:59:05 PM »
what happens is whoever answers the phone and I ask for the office manager they ask who I am, what's it in reference too and so forth and they cut you off before you get to talk to a manager, like oh we do all our own billing not interested. I was thinking maybe I should just ask for the office or billing manager like you said but not say I have a service just say it is a business call what do you think?
margemib  :-\
Margie Finlay CMRS

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2009, 11:30:40 PM »
Ring Ring Ring

Hello Dr XXX office
Hello, May I speak to your Office Manager Please
May I state who is Calling

Marge XXX
May I state what this is in reference to?
A) No heffer, you can't
B) Medical Billing Services
C.) A personal matter
D.) I am returning her call

I always try to find out who is the decision maker at the practice. I cheat and look up info on the NPI Registry. A lot of times they will have the owner, or CEO listed. Even on the BBB they have additional information, or I will google the website. A good website has a list of the employees listed.

margemib

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2009, 05:52:48 PM »
Thanks for the tips
margemib
Margie Finlay CMRS

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2009, 05:52:48 PM »

melissa_2004

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2009, 08:48:44 PM »
Ring Ring Ring

Hello Dr XXX office
Hello, May I speak to your Office Manager Please
May I state who is Calling

Marge XXX
May I state what this is in reference to?
A) No heffer, you can't
B) Medical Billing Services
C.) A personal matter
D.) I am returning her call

I always try to find out who is the decision maker at the practice. I cheat and look up info on the NPI Registry. A lot of times they will have the owner, or CEO listed. Even on the BBB they have additional information, or I will google the website. A good website has a list of the employees listed.


I choose A.   ;)

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2009, 01:32:00 AM »
roflmao...yeah me too,
I just try to circumvent the front desk staff altogether.

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2009, 09:38:52 AM »
I completely disagree trying to get around staff, the office manager or billing manager usually IS the gatekeeper, entrusted with the task of presenting any solutions to the providers (decision makers) that's a known fact. Too often the doctors don't know what's going on and without knowing the problems in the office you can't offer solutions. I've been more successful gaining the trust and conversation from office managers or billers on staff by getting their attention first and empathizing with them. Your goal is NOT to take their job. As a rule I dont' take clients w/out a gatekeeper because I don't want to rely on a busy provider to get me what I need. Your goal is to promote the benefits of using your services, those benefits are NOT just for the provider but for the staff as well as it frees up their time to help the provider provide more efficient patient care. Any time you try to overstep them you will come up empty, remember their job IS to pre-screen calls and they are paid to keep the doctor focused on patients not on taking sales calls. Take the "Sales" out of the call, get the office manager or billing manager to talk.. make them your friend and Allie, show them empathy and give them ideas on how you can help them.
One teqnique I will use is to research certain problems in a given area or by a specific payor and I will call and speak with the office manager, when the person who answer's says.. "what is this in reference to?" I tell them I am a billing company and I would like to speak with the person who does billing about claims that are being routinely denied, or a backup of workers comp, or the new mental health parity laws, or even the new HIPAA (HITECK) provisions. You would be surprised how many doctors don't realize they have very little time to amend their Business Associate Agreements they have with their BA's. Same thing with the Red Flag rules, many offices are not prepared ..the key is to research, learn and talk about these things with the staff. In most cases the staff will be receptive to an empathetic ear, but in all cases they will not be receptive to someone trying to dance around them to get past them, they will feel threatened.
Linda Walker
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Pay_My_Claims

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2009, 10:02:42 AM »
Well we have to agree to disagree because coming from being an in-house biller and having a billing service come in and explain to you what they can do is JOB THREATENING!! You no longer need your biller that job is GONE. When a service came in, she had us in the meeting and they told what they can do. FULL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT offers scheduling, insurance verification, authorizations, payment posting, denials etc etc. The only position that was clearly safe in that scenario was the front desk staff. The offices that I work now from home don't have a medical biller, except 1, and that is because I only do the DME portion, and the other biller does the Medical side. They could like my services enough to have me do them all, and what purpose would they have to use her, and she actually bills from California.  After that meeting I was clear...well the job you will eliminate is MINES. i did all the auths, verifications, payment posting, denials etc etc. The only person they would need would be the front desk person since they didnt have auto check in and some offices now have that. Don't get it twisted when a Billing Service takes over a practice, jobs are lost. As a business owner, I am not keeping staff on board when I am paying a company to do the same task. What does the in-house biller have to do now that I am there??? Why split the tasks up??

I think the issue Marge is having is that she CAN'T get to the office manager because of the fear of the staff. Her repeat efforts are getting her nowhere. Yes I do avoid the staff because it is the OFFICE MANAGERS job to initially ease their minds of job security. It is my job to work with them should she decide she wants to split the tasks and pay an inhouse-and billing service. I have no idea going in, if they plan to replace the current position, or have me work along side of them. Once I meet with the office manager and tell her what I can do, it is up to them. What happens when you come in, and they replace the in-house biller??

If the Office Manager wants me to meet with the staff and explain to them what my position would be, at that moment a decision has been made that I will be an extension of their office staff, not a replacement. When we have that agreement at hand, that is when I ease the staff's mind, if that can be done. If they think long and hard, they will realize their jobs are still at risk!!

Michele

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2009, 11:06:10 AM »
I agree with both of you - and I love answer "A"!  But I'm afraid that one won't get you to the person you need to speak to.  LOL  Anyway, it is threatening, but if you can get them to let their guard down a little and at least make them feel a little less threatened it helps.  If they like you it is harder for them to hate you.  Another thing you might try is "I'm calling her back about some information on electronic claim filing". 

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2009, 11:06:10 AM »

margemib

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2009, 02:51:44 PM »
Thanks again, you guy's are so funny!
margemib
Margie Finlay CMRS

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2009, 05:32:43 PM »
I've been at this since 1996 and I have never TAKEN a job from a practice. Yes there are some people that will be so truly threatened they won't put your call through but on the other hand .. it means you have not made them comfortable. Charlene I understand you have that side working within an office but I have spoken to many office managers and billers just like you, however a GOOD medical billing / practice management company WILL utilize the staff, increase production, increase cash flow and most importantly that staff in turn is more productive helping the doctor with PATIENT care. I have a pediatric group who has 8 office staff, I sat with all of them and in one hour they were comfortable, we met again and did job flow studies.. it's 5 months later and the owner of the group told me that their cash flow has almost tripled, they have not had patients stacked up in the waiting room on top of each other like they did in the past, they have missed ZERO referrals, and now they are able to call in scripts to get the patient out the door faster. 2 of the 8 were JUST answering patient phone calls, now they are able to prepare the rooms faster, check patients in and out quicker, even their patients have seen a difference and asked what has changed..   They will all tell you they felt threatened in the beginning but once I met with them they were actually excited.   To those trying to get around the gatekeeper I have to ask as Dr. Phil would.. "How's that working for you?"  It's all in the technique and attitude.  IF you should happen to get a client by bypassing the office staff you are in for a real treat .. NOT because it's not pretty to have someone as the gatekeeper who is resentful of you before you even get to know them, they will make your job twice as difficult, and for what?  ANY office can increase cash flow and run more efficiently without letting staff go, if they can't it means they are not putting patient care first as they should, so outsourcing is NOT just about money, it's about bottom line, efficiency.
Linda Walker
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Pay_My_Claims

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2009, 06:04:27 PM »
Yes, but its a DEMOTION. If you are now taking over the billing part of the practice, what does the medical biller do??? Check out?? Check in? Medical Records. They may still work there, but they are NOT doing the billing.

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #13 on: October 01, 2009, 10:11:07 AM »
Quote
Yes, but its a DEMOTION. If you are now taking over the billing part of the practice, what does the medical biller do??? Check out?? Check in? Medical Records. They may still work there, but they are NOT doing the billing.

Charlene, again, I disagree and it might be your way of thinking because your view is from only one office, there is no demotion, no cuts in pay, the tasks have changed, but everything in the office is relevant to the practice, it's about increasing efficiency and ultimately patient care.. you have to think outside the box, if you focus on trying to be THE only one running the practice you won't get anywhere, the office staff is vital and again, I have not taken anyone's job NOR have any of them received demotions, decreased pay, hours, etc.  If you go in to an office and you are successful in what your goal is the office/practice WILL run smoother...that's not an opinion, that's a fact. If done right the office will gain MORE financial stability, increased cash flow, decreased overhead and again ..most important.. Increased efficiency and patient care... EVEN if they keep their current staff.  But of course, only if it's done right. This is not just an opinion, it's fact.. I've done it and I know MANY other billing companies that will agree with me because they are approaching their marketing the same way.. why? because it works. Of course it doesn't work sometimes but most times that's because the right approach hasn't been taken, or quite simply you have someone that is automatically threatened and won't budge or give you a chance, it's a numbers game but the general and overall consensus of what works is NOT to go around the gatekeeper, not only won't it get you in their office, if you do get lucky to talk with the provider you will have to work with that person you pushed aside... and believe me that's not fun.
Linda Walker
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Pay_My_Claims

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2009, 10:58:48 AM »
Yes, I do think outside the box, one of the reason's that I do DME. I don't focus on just medical billing. My opinion isn't on just ONE  office, but I made reference to the one that started it to me I can mention others, but it would be a mute point. Again you can tell me from your experience when you went in to do the billing for a practice, what did the biller in that practice do??? If they are not demoted........what are they doing??? I do the AR/Billing now for a DME company. If you take over this business, what would be my job? You will be doing the posting, billing, and reconciliation. What do I do other than fax you information???

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Re: need some tips
« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2009, 10:58:48 AM »