Author Topic: Doctor billing pass Filing limit  (Read 5171 times)

mbspecialsit

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Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« on: July 02, 2010, 04:36:29 PM »
Hello all! I'm looking for some advice and/or suggestion.

I work for a primary care physican and we see an average of 25 patients a day. Lately he's been
slacking on signing off notes so that I can bill the visit. (I'm not a coder just a biller.) As you all
know most insurance have a filing limit and we have been getting a lot of denials for filing limit.
I have given him a list of the insurnace with the filing limit days. And every Friday I give him a list
of the patient that need to have their notes signed off so they can be billed, but that doesn't help.
I have even talked to him about it but he just shruggs it off. What can I do to make him see how
much money he is losing?

Thanks!!

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2010, 09:51:17 PM »
nothing....wait for them to shut off the lights and lock the door.
I personally would be seeking another job

blhoffman

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2010, 01:30:20 PM »
My suggestion would be to run a report on patient balances past timely filing and the $ amount for each insurer.

I would then X that by each month and show him the total $ figure he will have lost in income by the end of the year if he continues to sign off late.

Sometimes people don't see the big picture. It will take an overall projection of what the bottom line is down the road. Then let him decide if those numbers aren't worth worrying about.

Michele

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2010, 11:16:48 AM »
I would also try to figure out why he doesn't make the time to do it.  Is there something that can be done to make it simpler/less time consuming for him.  Have the charts all ready in a pile?  Also, suggest that he block off a section of time specifically to do this, maybe around lunch time once a week, and order out.  Incentive (the money) and ease (giving him a plan to accomplish it) are the key.  I know it almost sounds like babysitting, but if you show him how you took charge, figured out a plan, and implemented it he MAY give you credit.  Or he may not really care.  :(  Sorry could go either way.  Personally as a boss I would appreciate your concern for the situation and efforts to rectify it, but not all drs recognize they are also businessmen.

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DMK

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2010, 01:38:59 PM »
I have been where you are before and it's so frustrating!  Especially when, as a biller, your job is to process and complete your work, and you can't do that until they process and complete their work.

blhoffman's suggestion is what I did.  Unfortunately, my doctor didn't seem to be too motivated by money.  I finally sat down and asked what was going on.  It turned out that he was having trouble at home and he felt like he was only "Daddy bringing home the bacon".  It made him angry and made him want to "show them".  I told him I understood, but that when he didn't finish his work, I couldn't finish my work and that made me very uncomfortable because I only paid for myself by doing my job. 

We figured out a way to organize what files were incomplete each day, at the end of the day.  I stressed how important it was to complete the files while it was fresh in his mind since an audit would financially decimate him.  It wasn't just a visit he wouldn't get paid for, he'd get fined! 

Ultimately, I was always a day or two behind.  It was still not the way I prefer to work, but it got better.

I wish you the best of luck, but understand that when it gets too difficult to work that way you may need to find an alternative.

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2010, 01:38:59 PM »

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2010, 01:57:39 PM »
problem is, you can't make someone do what they dont want to. if you have already shown him whats going on, no matter how many reports or how much prepping you do,......you can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink. Unlike when providers hire billers to help them out of the disaster they are in from situations like this, this md is just flippant about what he is/isn't doing.  its great that you care, but personally i feel you should be somewhere working where your devotion is appreciated. Do what you can there, but i would get out the wanted ads.

PMRNC

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2010, 04:25:35 PM »
Actually that's one of my biggest reasons I stopped doing a percentage.. when they start getting a bill for all the work you put in but yet their cash flow is down, it's easy to run reports and see where the problem lies, USUALLY that does the trick because they then begin to say.. hey, I paid you $XXX but I only brought in $XXX  Then it's easy to show them exactly where the problem is..THEIR END. But also explain to them you are still doing YOUR job and you have a right to be paid for your work.

I like the suggestion of sitting them down and going over each problem, I do that too.. but not over and over again.. Like Charlene said, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. Many times you will find problems in the office that CAN be fixed once you are aware of them and help them create a strategy to fix it..
Linda Walker
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Michele

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2010, 11:29:50 PM »
Believe me I've led a lot of horses to water only to be frustrated.  However, in the description of the problem it didn't seem like a lot had been done yet, so I didn't see it as a total lost cause.  It's worth leading the horse to the water to see if they will drink, and giving them some suggestions on how to drink, so I would give it a try before giving up.  If you don't lead the horse to the water you will never know if they will or won't drink.
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Pay_My_Claims

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2010, 11:54:55 PM »
must be males, women love the $$$ ;-)

Michele

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 10:07:32 AM »
You know, I hadn't thought about that.  All of the "horses that don't drink" in my experiences were male doctors.  I wonder why that is?

Although I did have one husband wife, both drs in same practice, that both wouldn't drink!  GO figure??

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 10:07:32 AM »

PMRNC

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2010, 10:48:24 AM »
Actually, I had a few women therapists who were very cavalier about money coming in..I really don't' want to use the word lazy..but.. ??? ??? ??? I can't say I've had more male clients that won't drink than female ones. lol
Linda Walker
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mbspecialsit

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2010, 08:37:59 PM »
Thanks for all your suggestion. I will make 1 more attempt to talk to him and if it doesn't work I'm looking
for a new job. Thanks, again.

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Re: Doctor billing pass Filing limit
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2010, 08:37:59 PM »