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According to health care industry insiders, about 20% of all invoices sent from doctors' offices go unpaid. While patients may neglect to pay some bills, most of the shortfall comes from inefficient or incorrect submissions to insurance companies. Outsourced medical billing services streamline back office procedures, allowing doctors to focus on patient care instead of accounting. Billing specialists often focus on three key service areas:

• Processing complex insurance claims. Skilled medical billing professionals understand the nuances of submitting forms correctly and working the phones to get checks for their clients.
• Reducing inactive accounts. Following up on cold accounts can result in additional revenue. Screening no-pay or slow-pay accounts can also reduce overhead spent on invoicing.
• Providing efficiency statistics and reports. Over time, medical billing services can compile information that can help doctors expand their practices profitably.

Top 5 Things to Look For In a Medical Billing Service

The service fees charged by medical billing services often say little about the impact they can have on a health care practice. Instead, experts recommend reviewing five critical metrics that can reveal how a prospective vendor can make a major difference for both doctors and patients:

• Accessibility. Clients should be able to reach an owner or account manager by phone during business hours.
• Specialty Focus. Just as doctors specialize on a type of practice, the best medical billing services vendors focus on their own specialty. Experts recommend avoiding generalists, unless they organize their employees into specialty teams.
• Low Turnover. Low staff turnover speaks volumes about the working conditions at a medical billing service, while assuring the privacy of patient records.
• Subcontractor Agreements. Vendors that rely too heavily on subcontractors risk patient privacy and billing accuracy.
• Aggressive Attitude. Experts note that medical billing services with a reputation for clearing the hardest-to-get payments from insurance providers and patients ultimately pay for themselves.

How to Choose the Right Medical Billing Service

It can be hard to separate the real facts from the marketing hype. Industry veterans offer three tips for finding the best match among potential service providers:

• Look for a clear community presence. Some fly-by-night medical billing services open and close on a whim. Experts recommend looking for vendors with strong ties to their communities.
• Check public records. Look for early warning signs of fraud or ethics violations. Reputable medical billing services make their background checks freely available.
• Develop personal relationships. Feeling comfortable around an owner or account manager sets the stage for a productive working relationship.

Finally, health care legal experts suggest a "trial run" from a prospective service provider. Vendors hungry for business will work hard to earn more money for their new clients.

About the Author: Joe Taylor Jr. is an internal business consultant for a Fortune 500 company, who writes about finance, culture, and design. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.