When we talk about medical billing, there is one part that can never be ignored – ‘error’. Healthcare providers face a lot of hurdles in the entire medical billing process and any error can create a mess, which can affect patient trust.
The world of medical billing is a tough nut to crack as every diagnosis documented, treatment provided, and procedure billed must be accurately coded to make sure it complies with regulations and healthcare providers get reimbursed. All these processes open doors for the potential for medical billing errors.
Medical billing errors that result in cases where patients are wrongly charged for services that should have been covered by their insurance company can severely affect the trust, they have in the healthcare provider. Therefore, when you make sure your medical billing is complete and correct, it builds your practice integrity and contributes to patients’ overall satisfaction.
This blog is your guide to the essential steps or strategies that you need to avoid medical errors. We will also discuss the consequences of these billing errors on your practice and how they affect patient trust
Consequences of Coding Errors for Your Practice
Financial Stress
Imagine after going to a severe and mentally draining medical treatment, patients suddenly receive a medical bill that is higher than what they expected. Because they have insurance, they believe it will cover most of their medical costs, but now they have a huge amount of money that they cannot pay even if they empty all their savings.
As a patient this can lead to so much confusion, fear, and anxiety, making them want to question the integrity of their healthcare providers.
This financial stress is frustrating and can make patients lose trust in the quality of care they receive. They might also be scared to visit other healthcare providers, which might have a great consequence on their health over time.
Frustrating Process
According to statistics, resolving billing errors takes a very long time and can be frustrating. More than 30% of patients do not also understand how medical billing works. Many patients have to deal with a complicated healthcare system after their healthcare provider makes mistakes in their medical billing.
They have to spend a long time on the phone speaking to their insurance company while receiving unclear responses. They also need to fill out an overwhelming amount of paperwork explaining the policies they pay for.
When this continues, patients become unhappy with their billing experience and might begin to feel like their healthcare providers only care about making more money. It also makes patients feel unseen and unable to fully trust their healthcare provider.
Legal and Regulatory Consequences
It is common to make mistakes while filling out medical billing and this will not just affect patient trust; it can also lead to serious legal problems for healthcare providers. The False Claims Act gives patients the right to sue their healthcare providers directly in federal court if they submit an incorrect claim or overbill their insurance company.
The Office of Inspector General also established strict regulations and audits to investigate any billing mistakes. If it is discovered that the provider makes billing errors after the audit, it can lead to hefty fines and penalties. These legal issues can create a sense of distrust for patients that can be hard to overlook.
Affect Provider-Patient Relationships
One of the ways healthcare providers succeed in their practice is by having a good relationship with their patients. However, when this relationship is destroyed by billing errors, it can be the beginning of distrust that can significantly go downhill. When patients feel that their financial interests are not prioritized, they may decide to continue their treatment somewhere else, which can affect the revenue of the healthcare provider.
The Final Thought
Billing errors create a severe financial and emotional strain on patients, causing them to doubt the integrity and reputation of their healthcare providers. But this can be avoided by fixing medical billing errors.
To achieve this, providers need to outsource medical billing, focus on patient communication, and be transparent. When patients have a better billing experience, it helps build trust and a successful practice.
Are you ready to enhance your medical claim and insurance billing process? Unify Healthcare Services is the go-to partner that can help you avoid billing errors. Our dedicated team is well-trained and experts in all the billing and coding guidelines required for accurate and precise billing.