Author Topic: Info AR recovery  (Read 6989 times)

lc313

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Info AR recovery
« on: July 16, 2013, 09:13:07 AM »
Hi all, I'm starting a business focusing mainly on AR recovery. I know it is going to be tedious, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I would love to get some insight on best software that's not too expensive to start off with as well as any and all information you can provide which would be helpful to a newbie. I look forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks in advance.


RichardP

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2013, 05:41:40 PM »
You are going to do Accounts Receivable recovery and you ask about software.  I'm not clear on what you need software for?  Are you licensed as a Collection Agency, or are you going to work your client's A/R?  If you are working your client's A/R, I'm thinking that you would be working out of their database, not yours.  How else, when the patient/insurance asks for proof that they owe what you say they owe, will you be able to provide that proof?

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2013, 06:47:59 PM »
If your only going to do A/R Recovery I would just work off of reports, but if you plan to now or in future do billing and/or full practice you will want a good software that will grow WITH your business. Try not skimp or go for lower price just because... You will regret it because data conversions are NEVER smooth. If you browse the forum for software you'll find several diff ones to demo.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

lc313

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2013, 07:37:15 PM »
Thanks for your responses. I will use the aging reports of course, but what about tracking provider info for my records for bills that are resubmitted. What would be the best way to track payments?

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2013, 07:47:45 PM »
If your going to "resubmit" than you could run into a jam if the office/provider is submitting. If your contract with the client is for a/r followup you will want to establish how resubmissions are going to work. Typically if your only doing followup the direction should be to let the biller resubmit, otherwise your just double entry. Another method (again depending on the contract you have with the client) is to remote access into their PM system if you need to resubmit. Of course with HIPAA you will want to make sure you have your ducks in a row and your own login.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2013, 07:47:45 PM »

RichardP

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2013, 03:52:32 AM »
...I will use the aging reports ...

Here are a few things to think through.

In what manner will you use the aging reports?  Will they be submitted to you on paper.?  Will you transfer them electronically from your client's software to yours?  Will you log in remotely to their server and use their billing software to create aging reports?  Only if you are going to transfer the aging reports electronically from your client's software to yours do I see you needing any kind of billing software.  And I'm guessing that transferring these reports electronically is not what you are going to do.

If your client(s) have not written off the balances owed and changed the balances owed to zero in their software, any payments you shake loose from delinquent payers will have to be posted to that payor's account in your client's software.  And I'm guessing that the payor will send payment to your client(s), not to you??  That shouldn't matter if you are charging your client(s) an hourly or flat rate.  It will matter if you want to charge a percentage of the monies you collect.  How will you know how much money your efforts have shaken loose when payment will be sent to your client(s)?  You can trust them to tell you the correct amount.  But with money coming in from other payors as well, and all of it being posted to your client(s) billing software, how will your client(s) keep track of payments made by delinquent payors that you contacted?  They may want to be honest with you, but they may not have the ability to be.  It all depends on what sort of reporting capabilities their software has, and whether anyone knows how to use these reporting capabilities if the software has them.  At a minimum, you could compare outstanding A/R in Month N against the same report for Month N-1 - to see how much it has been reduced.  But that is an unreliable method since new accounts will be going delinquent and getting added to that report every month - which will keep inflating the outstanding A/R above what it would otherwise be.

lc313

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2013, 09:01:38 AM »
Thanks for all the information. Can you give suggestions for the best way to track cash received? I also do understand getting my own login to gain access to their PM is one way as well as paper reports. I'm trying to think of all possible things that could hinder my setup. Please feel free to pick my brain!

Thanks a bunch

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2013, 09:15:56 AM »
Quote
Thanks for all the information. Can you give suggestions for the best way to track cash received? I also do understand getting my own login to gain access to their PM is one way as well as paper reports. I'm trying to think of all possible things that could hinder my setup. Please feel free to pick my brain!

Are you a billing company? Will you be taking other clients? I ask because that might be a reason to go ahead and look for a PM software/solution. I don't know what type of contract you have worked out, but here is how I would do it.

I am a little different than most billing companies. Through the years and several data conversions and mistakes with purchasing software I decided I would use all that software experience to my advantage. When I take a new client I ask them if they want to continue using what they have and if so I either login to their web based program or use a third party remote software (logmein.com)  Providers love that because so many today have already spent thousands of dollars on high end systems and others are just happy with their smaller program and used to it. They also like the "control".  IF a client wants a new solution or needs one to start-out I give them several options with my preferred software but the account/software goes in their name.  This way has many different advantages, one being it solves the dilemma at the end of a contract or dissolution of a contract on "who gets data?", "how do they get data?" etc etc.

For your situation I would definitely have access to their system and they can actually set permissions so that your only posting payments, or marking claims for re-submission. This really will depend on the contract you have with the client which you should make sure spells out all of your services and responsibilities as well as theirs. Make sure you still do a BAA agreement and make sure  you have a separate login for HIPAA security reasons and audit trail purposes. To be safe I would have them restrict access to "send" claims but allow you to mark them for resubmission. If the pm software has a notes area you could add notes in there or enter in a line item post note with any special instructions.   

MAKE sure you have a contract and once you nail down what you will be doing it will come together much easier for you.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

RichardP

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2013, 03:46:56 PM »
Can you give suggestions for the best way to track cash received?

Your client(s) billing software most likely has a setup that allows the user to assign a code to any given payment they are posting that designates whether the payment is made by cash, check, or credit card.  Whether your client(s) staff knows how to use this setup is a separate matter.

PMRNC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4562
    • One Stop Resources & Networking for Medical Billers
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2013, 04:11:32 PM »
Quote
Your client(s) billing software most likely has a setup that allows the user to assign a code to any given payment they are posting that designates whether the payment is made by cash, check, or credit card.  Whether your client(s) staff knows how to use this setup is a separate matter.

She was asking about software to begin with:

Quote
I would love to get some insight on best software that's not too expensive to start off with as well as any and all information you can provide which would be helpful to a newbie. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Just clarifying that in case I missed it. I had suggested she use THEIR system since she was only doing A/R followup but really it depends on what their contract specifies.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2013, 04:11:32 PM »

gurumedbill

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 71
Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2013, 04:27:24 PM »
I would highly recommend using the software of the client.  I love my software and I know a company that uses the same software as I do and they manually put everything into the system.  I can't imagine that is worth it and I would never do that.  Just try to figure out a way to log into their system and work with them.  Then you can apply the payments and track those as well.  If their system is even remotely decent you should be able to figure out a way to do it.

Medical Billing Forum

Re: Info AR recovery
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2013, 04:27:24 PM »