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THE 8 QUESTIONS You should ask when considering a medical billing software:
1. Is the program WEB based or OFFICE based – does it require a Server, or will it run on an ordinary PC? There are advantages and disadvantages to both web based and PC based.
In a web based program, if your local internet is down, or the web-service is temporarily unavailable, your office will be completely without access to patient records during that time. On the other hand, web-based services tend to provide an extremely low startup cost.
2. Are there MONTHLY or ANNUAL FEES associated with using the software? The goal here should be to compare two to three year cost of ownership.
3. Does the software do ELECTRONIC BILLING? If yes, which clearinghouse do they go through? Can it go direct to Medicare or Blue Cross if desired?
4. Is the CLEARINGHOUSE pre-chosen? Are the settings fixed (built into the software), or can you use a medical insurance claims processor of your own choosing? Many billing programs have a captive clearinghouse for electronic medical claim transmittal -- meaning you’ll be locked into that specific vendor regardless of their monthly subscription fees or quality of support. If this is the case, make sure you look into the track record of that particular EDI vendor –or better yet, choose a medical billing software program that allows the flexibility of a variety of clearinghouse choices.
5. TRAINING & SUPPORT: How much is training & support and how is it accomplished – locally, or over the internet? How easy is it to reach software support when it’s needed? What are the charges associated with both?
6. CPT & ICD9 CODES: Procedural and Diagnosis Codes! Are they included, or purchased separately? If purchased separately, what are the cost?
7. UPDATES: How often is the software updated and what is the cost? Are there contracts? Are updates mandatory or optional? What happens if you don’t update? (Some billing systems stop working if the annual support fees are not paid.)
8. RETURN POLICY: Under what conditions can the software be returned – and in what timeframe; and is the return fully refundable?
1 comments:
Apart from establishing a budget, putting together a list of “must haves” and “don’t wants” will get you closer to narrowing down the field so you can look at individual programs. An easy way to accomplish this is to get a consensus from your staff of likes and dislikes of key features in your present software.
Medical Software Development
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