Medical Billing Forum
Starting a Medical Billing Business => Starting Your Own Medical Billing Business => : QueenAlicia February 16, 2011, 06:26:28 PM
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I am looking for iron clad contract writing advice. I would like some examples of wording and what not. Wording that is easy for me and the provider to understand. I am not googling random contracts becuase internet contracts are vague. I have the contract book offered by Michele and Alice but I would like more help. I have reread the book several times and have now sectioned it off to work on with my contracts. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks :)
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Any specific areas of the contract? I don't know of any other place to get specific Medical Billing Service Contract info, other than your lawyer. If you just put what you want it to cover, they can fix the wording for you.
Michele
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I have to agree with Michele. Have an attorney help you with it. Trust me almost all of us have had to learn the hard way on this one!
Here's what I finally did. I sat down and actually wrote out all the things that happened to me because of a crappy contract. Then I concocted even more scenario's of things that could go wrong. I took it to my attorney and said.. Help me with a contract that will protect me from all of this. Yes I was a little anal as I had filled up 3 note book pages front and back! Needless to say my 4 pg contract went to 11, then 14 and now it's 16 pages. We learn from our mistakes but I have to say if I can prevent those things from happening to other medical billers, then again, my best advice.. PAY for the lawyer. Generally it could cost anywhere from $200 - $400 per hour, but what I did was retain my attorney, paid him a retainer and he worked off that and was there to tweak it whenever I needed it done or even if I had a client that wanted to negotiate some of the terms, add things, etc. BEST money I ever spent. From what others told me they were able to find an attorney who charged flat fees for this too. I even know some that use the "pre-paid" legal help programs, though I've heard good and bad about those, do your research :)
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Alicia, what I did was sit down with Alice & Michele's book, wrote down everything I wanted to include in my contract with my terms, etc...put it into kind of an outline and sent it to my lawyer. He told me to send him as much information as I could for him to work with....the more I gave him, the less it would cost(he does hourly). Basically, he'll just be putting in the "legal jargon" and giving me any suggestions.
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Oh, I am actually writing it out with what I want and would like for him to review and rewrite. Like I have seen samples of contracts on microsoft word and I am using the contract book as a guide. I will let the lawyer do the verbege. I just want to make sure I am not missing anything and that I can protect myself.
Does anyone think that putting a clause in the contract where your provider could not go to other providers, associations and defame your company is appropriate? I ask because when I was reviewing software companies, 1 company had it in their contract that if you left them you could not go and say negative things about them like in a blog or as a testimonial for another software company. Your thought?
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Does anyone think that putting a clause in the contract where your provider could not go to other providers, associations and defame your company is appropriate? I ask because when I was reviewing software companies, 1 company had it in their contract that if you left them you could not go and say negative things about them like in a blog or as a testimonial for another software company. Your thought?
You know my attorney did put a clause similar to that in mine and I remember laughing.. because really, if I have a problem with a client it's not worth getting so bad into it that either one of us would resort to measures like that..but his staunchy attorney like attitude came out and he said "You would be surprised". I review all contracts I sign. I am even so anal that you know those pesky "terms of service" things you read to download software..yes, I read them. LOL that's the legal eagle in me. But I don't think i would sign something that says I couldn't give my opinion! I'd have them take it out stating my right to "freedom of speech". Can't really say I've seen that though. In regards to mine, I wouldn't have a problem taking that clause out..but my attorney might. LOL
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The software company actually was browsing other sites and came across the old client and she had referenced them and said what she didn't like and what she liked about her new system. You know those fools went and contacted her and told her she needed to tell her new software company to take the testimonial of her praising the new software down. I was shocked but I see why they told her that. I do agree with the freedom of speech, its her opinion, maybe they should have stepped their software system.
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Linda,
Didn't you tell me that you will review contracts for others?
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Yes, I will review contracts, pricing is $69.99 for our members and $79.99 for non members. I still don't have the store links up as my attorney is still drawing up my legal disclaimer. There will be a disclaimer of course that I'm not an attorney and that you should have the contract finalized by your attorney. It comes in handy as some have found attorney's that will just review your already created contract for less than they would, of course draw it up. What I do is take your drawn up contract in either MS Word or Adobe PDF. I then go through it and PICK it completely apart and give you a report with additions, deletions, modifications and comments. I will check with my attorney this week to see if I can speed him along <g>
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Linda; do you still offer contract review services? And how do I go about it?
Thanks
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dear tallmanusa;
PMRNC promised already not to help you because you outsource offschore...
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What is the name of this contract book available and where can it be purchased?
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dear tallmanusa;
PMRNC promised already not to help you because you outsource offschore...
HAHAHAHA ;D
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LOL. I totally missed this thread.. :o ;)
I kind of do the contract review.. but right now only for people I know and only as a first brush over look. I just wasn't comfortable, even with a disclaimer, unless it was for an attorney here in NY, I'm still a newbie CP, I have the training and certifications but not the amount of experience I would feel comfortable enough with.
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Contract book is available at: http://www.medicalbillinglive.com/medical-billing-service-contract.shtml
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I cannot recommend the contract book highly enough! It's a must read! :)