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How to (Safely) Change Your Billing System<
by: Pamela L. Moore, PhD
How to switch your billing software without losing precious data The only thing worse than putting up with bad billing software is the prospect of changing billing software. It feels so risky. What if something goes wrong and you lose all your billing data? That'll make collections a little tough. Suppose everyone learns a new system — and it isn't any better than the old one? It just seems safer to stay with the tried-if-not-exactly-true solution you already have. Well, fear not. Changing your system does take some preparation, but it also can be less painful than you might imagine. Study your needs well, arrange for the transition, and throw out your old standby for the hot new thing. Here's how. KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE First, know exactly why your current system isn't meeting your needs. "The number-one reason people update is that their current software is outdated," says Sarah Drake, a partner at Rochester, Mich.-based EZClaim Medical Billing Software. "If their current vendor hasn't kept up ... it can become obsolete." HIPAA compliance and EMR implementation have driven lots of conversions in recent years; old systems can't always accommodate the greater automation and integration now required. If this is the case for you, it may be cheaper to start over with a new program than to upgrade, Drake says. But newness isn't everything. You have to make sure your new-fangled product solves your problems. Ben Tobin, an engagement manager for Beacon Partners in Boston, has seen countless billing transitions. When a client comes to him ready to switch software he asks, "Why? The first thing to do when you look at any billing system ... is to come back to what's going wrong now. ... Look at how or if a new system will help you." For example, if you are losing cash because you aren't getting quality information up front, new software probably won't help unless you improve your verification processes. But if you are constantly getting denials because your current system can't scrub for obscure, local medical necessity rules before sending claims, a new system with robust claim-scrubbing support could work wonders. Marianne Dess-Santoro, chief operating officer for Yale Medical Group, advises physicians to review their work processes and personnel before abandoning an existing system. She says sometimes the problem lies in knowing how to get the most from what you already have rather than in flawed software. "You need to have the right people with the right background to get the information out and manipulate it," she says. Her group is still happy with a system it bought in 1998. It's reliable, she says, and it produces the data they need to run their business. "If you are not fixing the problems, you are just spending money and going through an implementation you don't need or want," Tobin warns. "When you are talking to a sales person, say, 'I want to do this, this, and this. Show me how your system does it.'" Look for outcomes you can measure. Software vendors should be able to prove that their package will provide a cleaner flow of information, help staff input claims faster, or reduce denials or days in A/R, says Kal Patel of Meditab SoftWare in Oakland, Calif. And consider your hardware as well as your software requirements, adds Bob Bridgeman, marketing director with American Medical Software in Edwardsville, Ill. "You need to determine what existing hardware and networking can be used and what needs to be replaced. In some instances, the previous software vendor may actually own some of the hardware," Bridgeman says. Ask the hardware person with your vendor about computers, printers, scanners, and networking equipment. MAKING THE SWITCH Once you find a winning system, prepare for the transition. It is typically cos< |
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