The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the way most people live their daily lives. More people are working from home, children are attending virtual classes, and greater effort is being made to avoid unnecessary trips to the store or even to the doctor’s office. As people continue to shelter in place, more behavioral health providers are offering telemedicine sessions as a way to provide their patients with the essential help and support they need. The pandemic has been mentally and emotionally difficult for everyone, but for those who struggle with a pre-existing mental health condition, COVID-19 has made things even more challenging as access to treatment, support groups, and family and friends have been limited for almost a year. Fortunately, the use of telemedicine has expanded as a way to meet with a professional without having to leave the safety of home. If your office provides telemedicine or you’re considering adding it to your list of services, there are some things you should know with regard to insurance. In today’s blog from CA Billing, we’re going to discuss how insurance companies view telemedicine and what you can do if your patients don’t have coverage. Keep reading to learn more and then give us a call to learn how we can help your business with all of your behavioral health billing needs. What Is Telemedicine? Telemedicine, also known as video therapy, e-therapy, or online therapy is a safe and convenient way for patients and treatment providers to connect virtually with the aid of technology. It’s similar to video chatting with a friend or family member, but it takes place with a doctor or therapist on a HIPAA-compliant web portal. Telemedicine sessions work much the same way as traditional doctor’s visits or therapy sessions with only one significant difference — the provider and the client are not in the same location. Instead, a computer, smartphone, or tablet is used to deliver consultations and treatments in a live, interactive, (but long-distance) setting. Not only can telemedicine be used for one-on-one sessions with a behavioral health provider, but this form of video conferencing can also be used for therapist-mediated group sessions or counseling. Benefits of Telemedicine For Behavioral Health Specialists It’s easy to see how patients can benefit from telemedicine, but there are quite a few reasons why it’s also good for behavioral health facilities. COVID Safety Even though we are in a global pandemic, people still need treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Utilizing telemedicine is a way to be able to connect clients with group counseling, therapy, and psychiatrists while still being able to maintain distancing and safety protocols for your staff and your patients. New Opportunities If you’re looking for ways to expand your business, telemedicine can help you reach more clients in different places outside of your local area. Because it can be done from just about any location, telemedicine lets you reach out to people who may not otherwise have the means to travel to your facility. Telemedicine and Insurance Despite the growing popularity of telemedicine among psychologists, therapists, and other behavioral health facilities, some insurance companies have yet to get on board and still do not cover the cost of this service. While most insurance providers have increased telemedicine coverage throughout the pandemic, some patients may be denied coverage and have to pay for services out of pocket — but this will depend on the provider and the circumstances for using telemedicine instead of seeing patients in person. To make the process more seamless, insurance providers have taken steps to make the billing process for telemedicine easier so facilities can care for their patients in a safe way while still getting timely and sustainable reimbursements. However, it is important that your in-house billing department or third-party biller becomes familiar with the subtleties and potential changes in billing codes when submitting claims for telemedicine services. We’re happy to report at CA Billing that we’ve been able to assist our clients in transitioning some of their services to telemedicine while still maintaining reimbursement rates. Protect Yourself and Your Patients To protect your patients from having to pay out of pocket and to ensure that claims are processed in a timely manner, you can do one of two things. Either you can take on the responsibility of checking with each patient’s insurance company to see if they are covered and at what rate you will be paid, or you can partner with a third-party behavioral health billing company like CA Billing who can do all of the legwork for you. Not only can we save you time and free up your staff so they can focus on more important things, but we’ll use our industry experience and connections to provide you with the most accurate information and the best chances for optimum reimbursement. Efficient and effective behavioral health billing isn’t just about assigning the right codes (although that is an important part of getting reimbursed) it’s about coming up with a comprehensive and data-driven strategy that involves verification of benefits, staying current with insurance requirements, authorizations, and enlisting the help of an experienced team to handle third-party negotiations and appeals. At CA Billing, we can assist you with all of this and more. We have extensive experience in behavioral health billing related to in-person therapy as well as telemedicine services. Contact a member of our team today to schedule a free consultation.

As a medical provider, you have a lot on your plate. Not only are you responsible for providing exceptional patient care, but your staff is also required to have a deep understanding of medical billing systems to avoid unpaid or denied patient medical claims. While most, if not all, medical providers would like to only focus on patients — the truth is you cannot have a medical practice without having some sort of medical billing system in place. At CA Billing, we help to alleviate some of the stress and mess that comes with medical billing in the behavioral health sector. As an independent, boutique third-party billing company, our goal is to advocate for your patients and get the optimum reimbursement so you can grow your revenue and continue to provide the care they deserve. Our experienced team and innovative software handle a wide variety of comprehensive medical billing services. In today’s post, we will go over our top four services while addressing how each of these will allow your medical practice to thrive and continue to care for patients. Enjoy this summary of our services and reach out to our qualified team to request a free consultation! Verification Of Benefits Accurate medical billing services start with the verification of patient benefits for optimal practice reimbursement. Before insurance companies will pay on a medical claim, a verification of benefits is usually performed on the account to ensure the agency of legal responsibility. While many medical billing systems leave medical practices hanging with no conclusive answers. CA Billing a verification of benefits within the hour of receiving a request. Accurate verification is critical to proper billing, medical reimbursement, and a reduced number of disputed claims. Utilization Reviews As a medical provider, your goal is to provide the best, optimal care for your patient, but it is also important that your facility get reimbursed for services so you can continue providing services to others. As your partner, our utilization review team and clinical teams work together to gather all pertinent information and ensure that correct procedures are followed. You don’t want to have a claim dispute keeping your patients from receiving the care they need. Keep your relationship focused on the patient’s care, while your utilization review specialist handles their insurance provider. Billing & Collections Medical billing can get confusing quickly. With medical codes changing every day, your medical billing software must be adaptive and responsive to industry trends. As a medical billing agency, we stay up-to-date on all billing and collection protocols that affect our behavioral health sector. Our goal is to provide accurate billing to reduce denied claims and collection accounts, keeping more cash flow in your business. Third-Party Negotiations Negotiating reimbursement payments can be very time-consuming. Let our team of experts handle all your third-party negotiations as your medical billing advocate. Our unique expertise allows us to quickly navigate fair negotiations and provide compelling agreements, including global agreements, so third parties are happy to find a solution that works for both sides. Services we include: Along with these services, CA Billing also provides in-depth reporting and analytics, helping you keep an overview of your entire medical billing system. Our medical billing software lets you generate patient reports when you need them, shedding valuable light on your billing department and keeping you as a medical provider in the loop on all business aspects. And if your business is experiencing a slow down in provider payments, our expert appeals and audits team has a proven track record of success in taking the appropriate channels to remedy a solution in your interest. No matter your medical billing situation, it is never too late to get on top of the industry trends with a new medical billing partner. Contact us today for a free consultation!

If you are a healthcare provider, then you know how important it is to have a good medical billing system in place. Not only does this make the billing process easier for you, but it also helps ensure that your patients’ bills are processed correctly and on time. That’s why CA Billing has put together a medical billing system that has been shaped using data accumulated over the years of working with a variety of clients. Here are just a few qualities our medical billing software provides your business to make your life easier and avoid the hassle of inaccurate bills. Ease of Use Ever-changing billing codes make billing patients a frustrating and difficult process. You have to stay up to date on industry trends to ensure you are charging clients fairly. With CA Billing, we take care of all the hassle so you can focus on getting your patients the care they need. However, we understand that outsourcing your billing can cause anxiety, as you are not directly in control of this major part of your operations. That’s why our medical billing system comes with CA Analytics, where you can easily access and track the various transactions of your business. Accuracy Medical billing is a complex process, and even the slightest mistake can cause inaccuracies in bills. This can lead to higher claim denials, loss of revenue, federal penalties, and fines. Often these detrimental billing mistakes are not caught until it is too late, as the law does not require intent to be a factor when determining the impact of an inaccurate medical bill. With the CA Billing team on your side, you can rest easy knowing our team stays up to date on the latest billing code information to keep your bills as accurate as possible. Security Many businesses have fallen victim to cybercrime that breaches their data and collects sensitive customer information, effectively ruining the business’s reputation. While these types of crimes may be out of your control, measures can still be taken to thwart any attempts of data theft. CA Billing takes data security and compliance seriously, as we understand the importance of protecting your patients’ information. That’s why we are HIPAA compliant and use the highest level of encryption to protect your data. Flexibility Every business is different, that’s why we made sure our medical billing system is adaptable to fit the unique needs of your medical institute. We translate our years of industry experience, and the data that comes with it, directly into effective strategies for our clients. Combining our data-driven approach with our boutique billing style, we create tailor-made solutions that meet our clients’ needs while staying in front of the changing industry landscape. Don’t fall out of date with your billing, or spend large amounts of time ensuring your medical billing system works for your business model. Instead, get CA Billing Software to maximize your revenue and take the stress out of billing. Medical billing software is an important tool for any healthcare provider. But not all software is created equal. With CA Billing, our medical billing software for small businesses takes the anxiety out of billing patients and can help maximize your revenue. Our team takes data security and compliance seriously, so you don’t have to worry about your patients being impacted by a data breach. We are also adaptable to fit the unique needs of your business, so you can maximize revenue while keeping up with industry changes. We even give you a full overview of the process with our CA Analytics, where you can track and review the billing process. Stop dealing with the hassle of medical billing software, and leave the work to the team at CA Billing! Contact Us For More Info About CA Analytics!

Efficiency and effectiveness can get stunted if your medical practice is overwhelmed by the billing process. At CA Billing, we relieve you of this burden through our expert service and medical billing software. Here is what you can expect when partnering with CA Billing. Open Communication At CA Billing, we value open and frequent communication. As your practice’s partner, we are dedicated to getting you paid for the services you provide. To do this, we collaborate with you and develop a relationship that ensures you are in the loop about the status of your bills. Keeping our lines open for our partners all hours of the day, you can access your revenue reports and stay in touch. Dedicated Specialists Our team of medical billing specialists has extensive experience processing claims in the medical industry. This comes into play when we perform audits, handle appeals, verify benefits, and conduct third-party negotiations. Trained to optimize your business practice, the CA Billing team is here to help you maximize your efficiency without sacrificing quality or accuracy. Custom Reporting Another area where CA Billing really shines is in the reports we create for our partners. Our medical billing system allows us to deliver custom reports that are tailored to your company’s specific requirements. Attention To Detail Attention to detail is critical when it comes to medical billing and coding services. We aren’t interested in simply getting medical records from doctors’ offices so we can feed them through our systems like a piece of paper through a shredder. We want to develop a solution that meets the needs of your practice by improving the accuracy of your reporting so you can maximize your revenue potential. Incorporating our team of specialists and billing software into your medical practice will help you save time, money, and keep better, more accurate records. To learn more about becoming a CA Billing partner, contact us today!

Medical billing is not an easy task. With so many policies and regulations to follow, ensuring your billing is done correctly can take a lot of time and can even get expensive when you don’t bill correctly. However, CA Billing is here to help practices like yours. Our specialized industry knowledge allows you to prioritize your client care, while we focus on helping you obtain maximum revenue for continued high-quality service. Here’s a look at four ways our medical billing services will make things easier for your practice and operations. Save Time As medical professionals, we all know how valuable your time is. You would rather spend your days seeing patients than doing paperwork and figuring out billing details. You can save huge amounts of time by using our medical billing services because we will utilize the patient information that you have already entered into the database while our team handles the entire medical billing process from patient intake to payment posting. This, in turn, saves your staff valuable hours that would otherwise be spent on repetitive clerical tasks such as manually filling out forms and payer-specific documentation. On top of this, having everything electronic makes it easy for us to provide you with the documentation you need, when you need it, so you are not constantly digging through folders. By streamlining your billing process, your staff will have more time to concentrate on higher-level revenue cycle management tasks like policy and appeals compliance and helping with insurance verifications. Save Money Medical billing can get tricky with so many regulations regarding claims and how and when they should be submitted. Instead, when you let our medical billing service team do all the work for you, you can prevent medical debt because every claim will be filled out and filed correctly. Instead of worrying about incomplete claims or mistakes in your paperwork, your practice has a team of professionals to look over everything and ensure it’s all done properly. No more worrying about your practice ending up owing money instead of getting paid for the services you provided! As an added plus, many insurance companies offer discounts if you provide electronic claims, which saves them money too. Medical billing services ensure that everything is done correctly, every time. Ensure Billing Accuracy Using our team’s extensive knowledge and experience in the medical billing industry not only helps your medical practice operate more efficiently by streamlining the claims submission process, but also ensures that you have a source for answers to any of your billing questions or woes. The streamlined workflow provided by a dedicated medical billing services team can lead to fewer mistakes in your billing process, ultimately resulting in improved cash flow for your practice. Better Record Keeping With medical billing services from CA Billing, you can get a better idea of relevant details for your practice, such as which services are most profitable for your practice, how many claims are typically denied each month, and more. Our medical billing service team provides you access to records immediately through a digital platform, which allows you to make sure every patient gets the care they need without any delays. Having insight into what happens within your practice’s billing process will also help you to make better business decisions in the future. If you don’t already have medical billing services for your practice, consider partnering with CA Billing. Helping your practice with our optimized billing plans and services is only one part of our comprehensive approach toward helping behavioral health practices like yours operate more smoothly. Learn more about our dedicated specialists and open communication policies, or get started with your practice’s medical billing service and contact us today!

Prior to this law passing at a federal level, mental health and substance abuse was covered at a much lower level than physical illness in the eyes of insurance providers. This meant that it was very difficult to get coverage for long term stays at mental health or substance use disorder facilities. In fact, prior to 2008 going to treatment was almost all a “cash pay” system- this meant people who were in need of these services did not have the access they so desperately needed. Then in 2008, Congress passed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that requires health insurers and group health plans to guarantee that financial requirements on benefits are not anymore restrictive than they are for the financial requirements for medical and surgical benefits. This means that an insurance provider could not have a different deductible for substance abuse than it does for surgical benefits. In fact, below are all of the financial responsibilities that must be equal between mental health + substance abuse and medical + surgical: As for all healthcare coverage, the treatment must be shown to be reasonable, necessary, and appropriate under medical necessity. However, the MHPAE also applies when it comes to medical necessity determinations. There are some some exceptions when it comes to MHPAE, some insurance providers may choose to not provide any mental health or substance abuse benefits. Exceptions also include self-funded small private employers with less than 50 employees. At CA Billing we make sure to advocate for our facilities when it comes to insurance companies providing equal benefits for mental health and substance abuse.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the way most people live their daily lives. More people are working from home, children are attending virtual classes, and greater effort is being made to avoid unnecessary trips to the store or even to the doctor’s office. As people continue to shelter in place, more behavioral health providers are offering telemedicine sessions as a way to provide their patients with the essential help and support they need. The pandemic has been mentally and emotionally difficult for everyone, but for those who struggle with a pre-existing mental health condition, COVID-19 has made things even more challenging as access to treatment, support groups, and family and friends have been limited for almost a year. Fortunately, the use of telemedicine has expanded as a way to meet with a professional without having to leave the safety of home. If your office provides telemedicine or you’re considering adding it to your list of services, there are some things you should know with regard to insurance. In today’s blog from CA Billing, we’re going to discuss how insurance companies view telemedicine and what you can do if your patients don’t have coverage. Keep reading to learn more and then give us a call to learn how we can help your business with all of your behavioral health billing needs. What Is Telemedicine? Telemedicine, also known as video therapy, e-therapy, or online therapy is a safe and convenient way for patients and treatment providers to connect virtually with the aid of technology. It’s similar to video chatting with a friend or family member, but it takes place with a doctor or therapist on a HIPAA-compliant web portal. Telemedicine sessions work much the same way as traditional doctor’s visits or therapy sessions with only one significant difference — the provider and the client are not in the same location. Instead, a computer, smartphone, or tablet is used to deliver consultations and treatments in a live, interactive, (but long-distance) setting. Not only can telemedicine be used for one-on-one sessions with a behavioral health provider, but this form of video conferencing can also be used for therapist-mediated group sessions or counseling. Benefits of Telemedicine For Behavioral Health Specialists It’s easy to see how patients can benefit from telemedicine, but there are quite a few reasons why it’s also good for behavioral health facilities. COVID Safety Even though we are in a global pandemic, people still need treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Utilizing telemedicine is a way to be able to connect clients with group counseling, therapy, and psychiatrists while still being able to maintain distancing and safety protocols for your staff and your patients. New Opportunities If you’re looking for ways to expand your business, telemedicine can help you reach more clients in different places outside of your local area. Because it can be done from just about any location, telemedicine lets you reach out to people who may not otherwise have the means to travel to your facility. Telemedicine and Insurance Despite the growing popularity of telemedicine among psychologists, therapists, and other behavioral health facilities, some insurance companies have yet to get on board and still do not cover the cost of this service. While most insurance providers have increased telemedicine coverage throughout the pandemic, some patients may be denied coverage and have to pay for services out of pocket — but this will depend on the provider and the circumstances for using telemedicine instead of seeing patients in person. To make the process more seamless, insurance providers have taken steps to make the billing process for telemedicine easier so facilities can care for their patients in a safe way while still getting timely and sustainable reimbursements. However, it is important that your in-house billing department or third-party biller becomes familiar with the subtleties and potential changes in billing codes when submitting claims for telemedicine services. We’re happy to report at CA Billing that we’ve been able to assist our clients in transitioning some of their services to telemedicine while still maintaining reimbursement rates. Protect Yourself and Your Patients To protect your patients from having to pay out of pocket and to ensure that claims are processed in a timely manner, you can do one of two things. Either you can take on the responsibility of checking with each patient’s insurance company to see if they are covered and at what rate you will be paid, or you can partner with a third-party behavioral health billing company like CA Billing who can do all of the legwork for you. Not only can we save you time and free up your staff so they can focus on more important things, but we’ll use our industry experience and connections to provide you with the most accurate information and the best chances for optimum reimbursement. Efficient and effective behavioral health billing isn’t just about assigning the right codes (although that is an important part of getting reimbursed) it’s about coming up with a comprehensive and data-driven strategy that involves verification of benefits, staying current with insurance requirements, authorizations, and enlisting the help of an experienced team to handle third-party negotiations and appeals. At CA Billing, we can assist you with all of this and more. We have extensive experience in behavioral health billing related to in-person therapy as well as telemedicine services. Contact a member of our team today to schedule a free consultation.