Health professionals and medical practices often face difficulties when they seek reimbursements for the services offered to their clients. Moreover, the rules and regulations of the insurance industry have made the submission of claims a difficult and frustrating process. This is why the procedure of mental health billing has become overwhelming and often created time management problems, including lost income.
Mental health practices can improve their collection rate by outsourcing their mental health and medical billing services. So, if you are looking forward to outsourcing mental health billing services, here are a few questions generally asked regarding mental health billing. Take a look-
Is mental health billing different from medical billing?
Yes, services offered by therapists and counsellors are greatly different from those provided by other medical professionals. In the mental health field, patients and insurers are billed for various services such as therapy, medical management and psychological testing services.
How long do insurance reimbursements typically take?
Usually, the process of insurance reimbursements takes at least 30 days from the date the insurer receives a claim to when your organisation receives the reimbursement. As some insurers move faster, they might have a turnaround time of two to three weeks; however, 30 days is what most healthcare practices can expect.
Can we bill the client for the balance after insurance reimbursement?
No, healthcare practices that outsource mental health billing services cannot balance billing their clients. So if you are planning to outsource the service, you must accept the rate the insurer provides and write off any remaining balance. Moreover, if you cannot reach the insurer’s network, your organisation will have to accept reimbursement from the insurer and then bill the patient for the rest.
What is the next step to be taken when clients don’t inform the healthcare practice about changes to their insurance plans?
Most of the time, clients aren’t aware of changes that take place to their insurance plans. Although most insurers do send out letters to clients for an explanation of changes, these letters are difficult to comprehend and are rarely read. While in other cases, clients change their jobs and get a new plan or have lost their coverage. Therefore, to avoid such situations, you may evaluate the client’s insurance coverage before each visit. By contacting insurers and staying updated about insurance coverage, your organisation can stay more informed and avoid wasting precious time on rejected claims.
Can my organisation bill clients for more than one session per day?
Although most insurers are pretty strict about one session per client; under most circumstances, mental health practices might obtain approval for more than one service in a day.
What is the limit for filing claims?
The time limit of filing claims varies from insurer to insurer. While some insurers ask providers to file claims after services, others are more lenient with the time limits. Therefore, it is important to know the insurers you work with and understand their claim submission rules to avoid denial of claims because of late submission.
Do insurance companies consider telepathy for reimbursement?
As per the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the insurance companies are required to make some accommodation for teletherapy. However, there are a lot of hoops to jump through for this treatment.
So whether you wish to join a network or accept payments, it is essential to consider their pre-approval rules and limits for payments. Outsourcing your services to a mental health billing company can help your practice improve your collection rates and improve the collection of money owed to them. Tall RCM is a registered provider of mental health billing services that focuses on assisting mental health practices. Moreover, if you are looking to outsource medical billing services or medical coding services, we can assist you. We are committed to offering services through professionals that have expert knowledge of the latest rules, regulations, and coding requirements. Connect with us to know more about our billing services.