As a chiropractor, you know that navigating the complexities of insurance can be a challenging and time-consuming task. However, it’s a great way to build a trusting relationship with your patients – they’re typically not equipped to handle the process themselves, and your help can ensure that they pay no more than they have to.
Don’t abandon your patients to figure out their benefits on their own! With up-front preparation, this essential aspect of patient care can become a valued service you’re able to offer. Keep these key steps in mind when dealing with insurance:
Verification: Often patients aren’t aware of how, or whether, their insurance will cover chiropractic care. Your first step should be to confirm benefits, coverage limits, and any pre-authorization requirements before you begin to provide care.
- Communication: Be sure your patients understand their insurance coverage, including care options, costs, and covered services. This will help manage expectations and minimize surprises.
- Documentation: Keep accurate and detailed documentation of the patient’s diagnosis, care plan, and progress, so that claims are submitted correctly. You or your staff should become familiar with the necessary forms and coding systems (such as Current Procedural Terminology, or CPT, codes) to ensure accurate billing.
- Pre-Authorization: Be sure you know which patients will require pre-authorization prior to care. Understanding when and how to submit documentation will help you and your patients avoid claim denials and payment delays.
- Submitting Claims: Establish procedures for filing insurance claims promptly. This is an area where your staff can really help! Assign the collection of all required information (patient diagnoses, accurate codes, details of care, etc.) for claim forms, and ensure that your staff are fully-versed in electronic submission methods.
- Follow-Up: Be proactive regarding all submitted claims. Keep track of those outstanding, and communicate regularly with insurance companies to address any issues or denials. Persistence by you or your staff will resolve payment delays and ensure maximum reimbursement.
- Patient Advocacy: Be an advocate for your patients in dealing with insurance companies! When you take the time to educate them about coverage, help them understand claim denials, and assist with appeals, it goes a long way toward reinforcing long-term relationships.
- Billing Policies: Make sure your patients understand your billing policies up front. This includes required co-pays or deductibles and who’s responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses. Provide detailed invoices and receipts for their records.
- Be Informed: Keep up-to-date with the insurance policies and regulations that affect your patients. Coverage, coding methods, documentation requirements, and more can all change; assign a member of your team to track these factors.
- Help Your Team: If dealing with insurance becomes overwhelming, consider temporarily outsourcing your billing to a professional service. Then, ensure your team has the members and expertise they need to handle billing and insurance internally. Remember, professional training is more cost-effective than mistakes!
Clear communication, careful documentation, proactive follow-up, staying informed, and ensuring needed staff training are all part of helping patients handle their insurance. They’ll also help you get faster reimbursement while providing terrific patient care.
DC Trainings can offer a lot of assistance when it comes to dealing with insurance. We can provide you with all the forms and guidance you’ll need to help your patients manage the cost of chiropractic care. Watch our FREE webinar about insurance, here!
That’s just a small fraction of what a membership in DC Trainings will bring you. If you’re ready to build a practice you LOVE, join us here! You’ll find all the seminars, videos, documents, scripts, goals tracking tools, and one-on-one help you need to succeed.
Questions? Contact us here, or register for Dr. Sawyer’s next free webinar!