Along with the growth of the telehealth sector have come a whole new set of challenges.
Although there are many elements of medical billing and insurance that are beyond your control, there are steps you can take to optimize your internal processes that will enable you to take telemedicine payments seamlessly and efficiently.
Brief Introduction to telehealth
Advances in telecommunications and cybersecurity have led to a sea change in the way that medical services can be furnished, particularly to patients who have difficulty attending in-person appointments at a provider’s office.
Today’s technologies enable services such as clinical care, medical education and the updating of electronic health records (EHRs) to take place remotely via video conferences, secure emails and phone calls, remote monitoring and information access through a patient portal.
Telehealth has numerous benefits, allowing care to be given to a more diverse set of patients. Costs for chronic care and monitoring can be reduced without sacrificing patient privacy or data security.
From the provider’s standpoint, scheduling can be optimized, making it possible to serve more people in the same amount of time. In the years to come, telehealth is sure to be an effective way to complement the other medical interventions you already provide – as long as your billing infrastructure is optimized.
1. Check eligibility in advance
You don’t want any billing surprises when it comes to telehealth appointments. Check with the patient’s insurance company before their phone call or video chat to make sure they are eligible for telehealth. You should be able to obtain the patient’s insurance verification form ahead of the visit to prevent any unanticipated denials of service.
2. Understand payer’s guidelines
There are three types of telehealth payers: Medicare, Medicaid and commercial providers.
If you have questions about what services are or are not covered, contact the provider to avoid coding errors and ensure compliance.
3. Be aware of laws in your state
Every state has its own specific statutes that govern telemedicine. Some, for instance, have stipulations about where you can practice telemedicine and which types of services are permissible.
Others require a physician’s presence during all virtual consultations. A thorough, updated understanding of the laws that apply to your practice is essential.
4. Get a handle on billing codes
Each telehealth service you provide must be billed using the correct code. These designations can change just as laws can.
Therefore, never assume that what was the case last year remains unchanged. Verify before attempting to resolve a bill to avoid frustrating payment delays.
5. Work with high-quality billing software
A dedicated telemedicine payment processor has the expertise to help you in navigating the complex remote health care ecosystem. They can also assist you in obtaining and onboarding the optimal invoicing solution.
This software should be able to integrate with any third-party accounting systems you are already using and should include features such as a patient portal, virtual waiting room and pre-visit form completion that will streamline the patient’s experience as well as your internal processes.
6. Don’t forget about post-visit documentation
What happens after the patient’s virtual conference is just as important as the interaction itself. Your billing software should allow you to store a record that the patient has consented to telehealth, whether verbally or in writing.
Additionally, the system should enable you to document how long the actual virtual visit lasted so that you only bill for the provider’s time and not for that of your clinical staff.
Finally, be sure to check your state’s rules on so-called store-and-forward health care. This term refers to the exchange of information such as lab results before or after the virtual visit. Some states will not reimburse for anything considered to be asynchronous or store-and-forward.
Furnishing your patients with the option to receive services via telehealth is rapidly becoming the standard in your industry. If you want to achieve success in remaining competitive with the many other providers vying for patients’ business, you should do everything you can to optimize your billing best practices.
Since telehealth services show every sign of increasing in popularity with the passage of time, optimizing your systems and protocols is a sure-fire way to keep your finger on the pulse of your industry while providing the spectrum of care options that patients are demanding.
