When it comes to working in a medical office, some the most common errors that can be made have to do with billing. These billing mistakes can often be small, but may have enormous consequences, resulting in unhappy clients and a mess of paperwork for medical office administrators. Some billing mistakes are more common than others, such as incorrectly entering a client’s information into the system. Thankfully, first time medical office administrators who are aware of these common billing mistakes are better able to avoid making them and keep operations running smoothly.
Here are a few of the many common billing errors that you can avoid making once you begin your career!
New Medical Office Administrators Should Be Vigilant When Charging Clients
Incorrect charges on a client’s bill are quite common and can happen in almost any profession. A medical office administrator might start by charging a client for a service, such as an irrigation of the ear at a clinic, or removing a corn in a podiatrist’s office. However, when entering figures, the medical office administrator might make a tiny little typo and enter a 2 instead of a 1. As a result, the client is charged twice for the same service, ending up with a hefty bill. These types of typo related billing mistakes can be easy to avoid. All that graduates of medical office administration training need to do is pay more attention when preparing a client’s bill. After all the information has been entered, medical office administrators should review each of the charges on the bill to ensure that they are accurate. With a little practice and experience, a new medical office administrator may also be able to tell if there is an error on a client’s medical bill by looking at the total charge, particularly if it is abnormally high.
Grads With Medical Office Administration Training Should Watch Out for Duplicate Billing
Duplicate billing is another mistake that medical office administrators can catch. Duplicate billing is when a client receives a medical bill charging them for services that they have already paid for. Duplicate billing usually occurs when a medical office administrator processes a bill for a client without first verifying if the client has already paid for the services.
To avoid this error, new medical office administrators should practice due diligence by double checking their systems for any proof that the client has paid for services. New professionals with MOA training may also wish to sift through patient records before proceeding with a charge, or communicate with their colleagues to see if they have already processed the client’s transaction.
Medical Office Administrators Should Make Sure Not to Charge for Cancelled Procedures
On occasion, clients may decide not to undergo certain procedures or tests and cancel before their appointment. Unfortunately, when a client decides to cancel their blood test, physiotherapy appointment, or other scheduled service, the medical office administrator may not be aware and charge them anyway. Avoiding this problem also requires paying close attention to all the details of the client’s medical bill before it is processed, and being sure to communicate with doctors and coworkers to verify if the client has gone through with the procedure.
Mistakes will happen in any career. Fortunately, healthcare colleges like Medix College offer medical office administrator programs that give graduates the skills, training, and confidence for success in their careers. They’ll also get practical experience with the program’s practicum component, giving them the practice they need to avoid making medical billing errors when they start their careers!
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