Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate National Medical Billers Day
When was the last time you thanked a medical biller? Probably only after they’ve solved a billing issue on your behalf, rescuing you from an insurance battle and saving your family budget thousands of dollars.
Each year, the last Thursday of March is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of these medical professionals, whose hard work goes unrecognized all too often. National Medical Billers Day is an opportunity to recognize their skills and expertise, which are integral to the financial viability of individual families and the larger healthcare system.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what medical billers do and why their role is so important to the medical system. Then we’ll review 10 reasons for your team to celebrate the many contributions they make throughout the year.
What Are Medical Billers?
Although the jobs of medical billing and coding often overlap, they are in fact two distinct professions. Medical coders translate the documentation in patients’ charts into standardized codes (e.g., CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10 codes), while medical billers use these codes to process insurance claims and generate bills for patients.
Medical billers typically work in hospital systems, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, clinics, and third-party companies. Their work requires meticulous attention to detail, computer savvy, and exceptional customer service skills, with duties that include:
- Working with patients’ protected health information (PHI)
- Confirming per-authorizations and gathering referrals
- Verifying patient eligibility
- Creating, reviewing, and following up on patient claims
- Ensuring the accuracy of claims/billing information
- Appealing claims
- Fielding patient questions about account information and bills
- Setting up payment plans
The American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) and American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) are professional organizations that provide educational offerings like medical billing and coding seminars, online courses, and conferences. Many AMBA webinars are free. The AMBA Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS) Certification and the AAPC Certified Professional Biller (CPB) Certification are both specifically tailored to medical billing professionals, demonstrating professional excellence and expertise.
10 Reasons to Celebrate National Medical Billers Day
The tremendous amount of work done by billing teams can sometimes go unnoticed, but it’s absolutely necessary for maintaining an organization’s financial success. Here are 10 outstanding reasons to dedicate National Medical Billers Day to the professionals on your team this March.
Also, don’t forget to celebrate National Medical Coder Day, every year on May 23.
1. Closing the Gaps in Healthcare
Medical billers are one of the main touchpoints among patients, providers, and insurance companies. They bridge the gaps between these groups by making sure that services are accurately documented and billed, and accounts are paid. By doing their job well, medical billers enable providers to focus on patient care, and patients to focus on what really matters — healing and getting well.
2. Supporting the Financial Success of Healthcare Organizations
Without accurate and timely billing, medical facilities can face financial losses that ultimately affect their survival. Budgets across the organization depend on revenue and without the expertise of a strong billing department, facilities are at risk of closing their doors.
3. Demystifying Billing Codes
Medical coding is complex and can be confusing for patients and providers alike. Small changes in codes can have drastic financial impacts, requiring billers to be fluent in the language of billing and knowledgeable about its many nuances. They must understand thousands of codes and are accountable for explaining these to providers and patients when questions arise.
4. Advocating for Patients
Oftentimes, billers are working on behalf of the patient to make sure they’re not overcharged and that claims are processed correctly. If an error is made, they’ll revise the claim and rebill the insurance company on behalf of the patient. When disputes arise, the medical biller can be the key to protecting the customer, potentially saving them thousands of dollars.
5. Upholding Standards for Ethical and Professional Practices
By adhering to ethical billing practices, medical billers boost trust in the healthcare system. Upholding standards of practice gives patients confidence that they’ve been billed accurately and fairly for the services they received. Every bill that’s generated is a fresh opportunity to bring credibility to the billing process.
6. Continuing Education and Growth
National Medical Billers Day is also an opportunity to thank billers for their flexibility and adaptability. Like the rest of healthcare, the field is constantly evolving. New regulations and technologies bring regular changes, and medical billers are expected to stay current and embrace changes.
7. Preventing Medical Fraud and Abuse
Medical billers are somewhat like detectives, responsible for sleuthing out errors in claims and billing practices. They must look for discrepancies and review documentation for inconsistencies that violate laws or regulations. Being alert to medical fraud, which can be a federal offense, protects the biller, provider, and patient. In one case, a medical biller who was involved in committing fraud was sentenced to prison time and ordered to pay fines of $1 million.
8. Improving Patient Experience
Calling a billing department is not at the top of many people’s to-do lists, especially when they’re recovering or don’t feel well. It can be devastating for patients when medical bills begin showing up — at a time when they should be resting and healing.
Many people have questions about their bills (mistakes do happen), financial assistance, and payment options. Medical billers answer these calls with empathy and professionalism. Emotional and financial support is often needed, and billers must be adept at providing technical information and exceptional customer service.
9. Maintaining Patient Confidentiality
Every day, billers handle highly sensitive and confidential information about patients’ finances and medical history. They’re responsible for protecting PHI and must be compliant with HIPAA at all times, ensuring delicate information is secure at all times.
10. Facilitating Smooth Communication With Insurance Companies
At times, the relationship between insurance companies and providers, or customers, can be challenging and strained. Medical billers help smooth these interactions by using clear and efficient communication to expedite claims and resolve disputes.
Looking for More Ways to Recognize Your Team?
Now that you have 10 reasons to celebrate National Medical Billers Day, you might be looking for additional ways to acknowledge your team. IntelyCare is here to help — our newsletter is full of free team-building resources to support healthcare managers.