Charge entry is a very important factor in medical billing. It involves financial data and is directly associated with claim reimbursements and the physician’s medical revenue flow. Charge entry involves validating medical codes and assigning appropriate charges to the procedures and diagnosis codes.
This makes sure that the claims are accurate so the practices can get paid accordingly. The main agenda of charge entry is to get reimbursed fully with the first claim submission itself. This is a complex process which requires a deep understanding of medical codes, reimbursement guidelines, and compliance regulations.
What is the Charge Entry Process?
As a healthcare organization, one must have predetermined steps that ensure accuracy at every step. An efficient charge entry process makes sure that the physicians receive accurate payments from the payer. It needs great attention to detail. Every single entry must be entered accurately, or the claims will be rejected.
In the charge capture process, the providers document all the patient details in the medical record and then the billing and coding specialist assigns codes for the claims. The codes are then translated and converted into charges.
When To Perform Charge Entry?
After the physicians complete the scheduled appointments, they must share the required details with the billing staff so that they can enter the charges. The ultimate objective for all the providers is to post the charges the same day when the services are rendered.
The more time it takes to post the charges, the longer it will take to get reimbursed for the practice. Always set a goal of number of acceptable days to post the charges.
Incomplete Charges
Incomplete charges are the bills that have not been reimbursed into the account of the practice. This can happen due to a variety of reasons. A major reason can be that the person posting the billing of the charges misses some charge marked on the encounter form. Also, if the physician does not mark all the charges in the encounter form it will result in denial.
Missing Charges report must be run through the medical billing software to identify the patients/ appointments that do not have any charges posted.
If you want to find the partially missing charges, you can review the charts with encounter forms and find the charge posted to the accounts. The results of this review can help monitor the performance of the staff responsible for posting the charges.
Accurate Coding
A lot of practices use claim scrubber to identify the errors before the claims are submitted. The scrubber notifies the billing expert about the errors which gives them a chance of rectifying the errors before submitting the claim.
Sometimes a code is not billable which can happen if the codes have been changed, updated or deleted by the regulatory authorities, but the practice has not updated it on their system.
Outsourcing Charge Posting Services
Proper Training and education are essential for healthcare professionals taking care of charge posting. Medical coding is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of reimbursement rules and compliance regulations.
Let's take a look at some training and education options for the charge posting professionals.
Certificate Programs
There are various certificate programs available for medical coders and billers. These programs give coders comprehensive training about the coding systems, billing practices, and compliance regulations.
Some of the commonly recognized certifications include certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), and Certified Professional Biller (CPB).
Continuous Education Courses
Continuous Education Courses
Digital platforms and webinars are a great way to access these courses conveniently.
Industry Conferences and Workshops
Attending industry conferences and workshops allows charge posting experts to connect with their peers, learn from experts and stay updated about the latest trends and developments in medical coding and billing.
On-the-Job-Training
Healthcare professionals can provide on-the-job-training and mentorships to new professionals who are not well versed with the requirements. This helps them learn and gain practical experience and use their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Online Resources and Forums
Resources such as websites, blogs, and forums provide a lot of information on medical coding and billing. Charge posting professionals have access to these resources to stay informed about the coding updates in the industry.
They get great industry insights and participate in discussions with their peers.
Investing in training and education is a great way in which professionals can improve their skills and stay up-to-date with the industry changes. This ensures the accuracy and efficiency of charge posting practices.
Importance of Charge Entry in Revenue Cycle Management
Every healthcare practitioner knows that managing the revenue cycle effectively is Without charge entry, accurate recording and posting charges of the medical services is not possible. Or we can say it will be very tiring.
Accurate charge entry is the only way to ensure accurate payments for the services rendered. It helps practices avoid common errors that might lead your practice towards under-billing or over-billing of patients. This is a major compliance issue that can lead your practice to serious trouble.
Moreover, timely completion of this process helps you avoid denials, reducing the risk of potential revenue loss. Entering the charges accurately can significantly boost the practice’s financial issues. This ensures that all the charges are accurately recorded and submitted to insurance providers. Doing so will optimize your healthcare revenue cycle and improve your practice’s overall profitability.
Conclusion
Now that we know the importance of charge entry in medical billing, let's talk about how you can simplify the charge entry process. Having a dedicated team to manage the billing and coding for your entire process. It is a bit expensive but a viable option if you have high footfall.
However, it is not fair to expect healthcare professionals to be proficient in all aspects, especially billing because it is a completely different zone. Not all healthcare providers are proficient with charge entry in medical billing. This is where outsourcing to medical billing professionals like Unify Healthcare Services can help you accomplish your goals.
Unify Healthcare Services is a well-established name in the world of medical billing. We have ample resources to manage all the aspects of medical billing and coding with accuracy which makes reimbursement easy for your practice.
Our trained professionals will handle all your documentation processes, so you have all the time to focus on patient care. We envision making billing and coding easy for every practice, so you never have to worry about accuracy in your claims. This results in accurate reimbursement which offers peace of mind for practitioners. Ultimately, this will improve the footfall leading to a better reimbursement.
