Medical Billing Software > Medical Billing Software Reviews
Office Ally
Paul G. Hackett:
I have to admit that these companies turning into medical billing businesses does disturb me! Not because of the competition factor but who's to say some bad apple in the bunch won't approach my clients as I use their services or when I discontinue using their service.
From the time they decided to expand their services to include medical billing these companies should have put up easily identifiable info on their website explaining how they will conduct themselves in every conceivable fashion with regard to current and new customers alike.
The fact that one can't find any references regarding their views on non-compete clauses, how they train their employees in regard to the usage of our submitted info, what methods they have implemented to make sure the soliciting of clients from companies they provide services for doesn't happen, etc. is kind of alarming!
PMRNC:
--- Quote ---I have to admit that these companies turning into medical billing businesses does disturb me! Not because of the competition factor but who's to say some bad apple in the bunch won't approach my clients as I use their services or when I discontinue using their service.
From the time they decided to expand their services to include medical billing these companies should have put up easily identifiable info on their website explaining how they will conduct themselves in every conceivable fashion with regard to current and new customers alike.
The fact that one can't find any references regarding their views on non-compete clauses, how they train their employees in regard to the usage of our submitted info, what methods they have implemented to make sure the soliciting of clients from companies they provide services for doesn't happen, etc. is kind of alarming!
--- End quote ---
I have the same concerns and not just for myself. I was talking to a few vendors this week in hopes of securing a discount for our members and there are some vendors very much against this and if they play their cards right will be a marketing point for them. On the other hand as others have mentioned, if we do a good job we have no reason to feel a threat. I think today's billing company had better have more experience and diversity in their services. I think we are going to see the ones who are only doing billing going out of business for lack of keeping up. Consulting and education of providers is going to be a MUST. The days of the business opportunity of medical billing has come to an end and you cannot buy your way into this business like you could 10 years ago by any stretch of the imagination. In fact from my own data and reports over the years since I've been running PMRNC 80% of the ones that bought into the $5000 - $10,000 business opportunity is no longer around. The ones who stayed and fought their way and educated themselves on MORE than just billing and did NOT take the ad's of "Make 28,000 a year working from home" (lol thinking about that .. 28K wouldn't even get us two kids in one semester of college.. today) are the ones that are still around. I run reports all the time because I like to see what's trending, who is surviving and who isn't. It's sad on one hand that only 2 of 10 start ups will make it, on the other hand the tightening up of regulations, liability, and education is helping the industry so that the ones still around are here so for a reason. Those 2 of 10 start ups that fail, do so mainly because they did NOT realize what they were getting into. That's not to say those that are still here and around and successful are not going to be threatened by what these vendors are doing.. I don't feel as threatened as I do betrayed if that makes sense. I'm going back and forth with myself on this, I really didn't know office Ally has been doing this since 2010 but then again, why are people NOW signing up with them fully aware of this? Kareo started this WHILE I'm using them so I do think it's a bit different. HAD I known THEN what I know now may be the difference for me personally. On behalf of the members I have though I do have to look at this and question how to go about this. I'm very fortunate that I learned a long time ago that there is NO perfect software that does it all.. not at all.. so with that in mind I completely changed my business model and I don't market my software. Only 2 of my clients are using MY preferred software and they are the ones signed up, I just use it :) I've never ever turned down a client due to my software preferences, I let them tell me what they want and utilize what they have in place or what they want me to use. I'll make any program work with my services.
Sorry, I think I ranted in the opposite direction.. lol
DMK:
This is really intelligent discussion about something that's going to affect our whole industry. The massive regulations will put a lot of the small guys out of business. Or the small guys who don't follow the letter of the law will be fined out of existence whether they believe it, as they're breaking the law, or not.
My own clearing house just pitched me their billing service and EMR software. Ugh. I'll look at the information, and maybe hit them up for a job!
PMRNC:
--- Quote ---My own clearing house just pitched me their billing service and EMR software. Ugh. I'll look at the information, and maybe hit them up for a job!
--- End quote ---
Really? I have no idea how I would handle that!!! What did they say and how did you react? You don't have to put the name out there, but I'd be interested to know how they actually went about that!!
RichardP:
--- Quote from: DMK on April 01, 2013, 01:50:17 PM ---This is ... something that's going to affect our whole industry.
--- End quote ---
I think it has already affected the whole industry. A lot of people just haven't recognized it yet (particularly those targeted by the billing school ads). Carefully think through all of the things an on-site biller had to account for when the doctor was writting in a paper chart - from getting the new patient demographics and insurance info into the computer correctly all the way to posting the last payment for that date of service. Now, with EMRs, PMs, Patient Portals, electronic remittance/EOB, computerized phone calling to deadbeats, and even patient statements automatically printed or sent to patient's e-mail, hardly anything is on paper. Both doctor and patient (can) put everything directly into the vendor's database. And the computer can generate quite a number of automatic responses, based on criteria that have been established in the computer. A great deal of the work formerly performed by the on-site biller has been transferred to the doctor and the patient and the computer. All the biller does now is verify the new patient information (if they even do that), and guide the electronic posting of insurances payments as they post the electronic remittance/EOB. And maybe have a little input in the patient billing process.
Given all of that, why should doctors who have bought into the EMR-in-the-cloud thing bother with a biller - when the vendor of the EMR in the cloud can provide value-added by having their staff do those few things that the doctor, patient, and computer are not now handling on their own? For those doctors who practice simple medicine and who do simple billing, there probably is no argument that can sway them away from this setup. Those doctors who can be persuaded of the value of an actual biller will be those who practice complicated medicine and who do complicated billing. And these accounts are not going to be handled by the folks fresh out of billing school.
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