Frequently Asked Questions
Our most frequently asked questions on medical billing service software from those trying to find the best medical billing software for their service or practice.
What are the most popular health insurance claim software programs?
There are so many it’s honestly hard to say what the best or most popular program is. The one’s I’m most familiar with are Lytec, Medisoft, and AltaPoint – but there are so many more. There’s also online billing and practice management software offered by AdvancedMD, Kareo, AthenaHealth. etc. Some of the traditional PC or server based medical billing service software companies are starting to offer online products too – like AltaPoint.
My advice in selecting a medical billing software is to get the advice of medical billers who use the software on a daily basis. I use Lytec and AltaPoint a lot and feel comfortable with them. I’m not saying they are the best – but they have been around a while and have a lot of installations.
What are the advantages of an online medical billing service software?
- Low startup cost.
- Don’t have to worry about backing up your database.
- Typically can access from any PC with access to the internet.
- Don’t have to worry about the expense and trouble of software, security, and hardware upgrades.
On the other hand, the disadvantages of online medical billing service software are:
- Do you have access to your data? If you decide to change software make sure you can obtain you data in a neutral format to import into your new program.
- If your internet connection is down, you can’t access patient information.
Online medical billing service software is becoming a much more attractive alternative for not only the larger provider offices, but the small providers and billing services.
Is the Clearinghouse included with the medical billing service software?
Typically no – and it really shouldn’t be. Some billing claim medical software are set up so you can only submit claims through a single clearinghouse. The software vendor may have an enticingly low price – and if so be suspicious. They make up for the low upfront cost by monthly clearinghouse charges – which can add up.
Make sure you choose a medical billing service software that allows you to select your own clearinghouse software – or submit directly to the insurance payer if you desire to.
What is a good affordable medical billing software?
Look for a software company that’s been around a while and has a lot of users. This insures there will be a good knowledge base and its easier to get support when you have issues. Talk to someone who uses a particular software to see how satisfied they are.
Here’s more of our thinking on selecting the best medical billing software for a small practice or billing service.
What is Billing Compliant HIPAA Medical Software?
There’s really no such as a formal HIPAA compliant software approval for a medical coding and billing software. Theres not a firm list of criteria that a health insurance claim software has to meet to be considered HIPAA compliant. But there are features that a medical billing service software should have that enables the user to comply HIPAA security, privacy, and data interchange requirements.
Here’s more HIPAA software program discussion.
What are the advantage of billing online medical software?
Online practice management software is becoming very attractive now. The advantages are low or no upfront cost, don’t have to worry about backing up files, no hardware or software upgrades, and you can access it from any computer. Installing a server based medical billing software can cost several thousand dollars. And then you have the expense and disruption of regular upgrades, backups, etc.
How much does billing software cost?
Expect to pay from $1000 and up for a standalone PC based software. Multi-user and server based systems can be several thousand dollars. It also depends on the level of support you desire – because support is very important – especially when getting a practice going.
I really like the idea of some of the subscription web based applications that are becoming more popular. You pay a monthly fee for access to the practice management software which includes all support, backup, updates, etc. It’s also attractive because it doesn’t require a big up front cost. I noticed Kareo starts at around $70 a month for their basic service – and that includes clearinghouse.
Where can I find a good Cheap medical billing software?
If you’re just starting a medical billing home business or setting up a practice you want to do so without spending a lot of money. There are some good affordable options for a medical billing service software. The link above lists several affordable medical billing software providers. You may not get all the bells and whistles, but a basic medical claim software. Some of the online services now have very attractive solutions for a very reasonable cost. There is also a free software and clearinghouse option available – Check it out here.
Are the ICD and CPT codes included with the medical billing software?
A lot of times that’s an option. Some software providers offer the ICD and CPT codes for certain more popular specialties for an additional price. If a software vendor quotes you a price, ask if this includes the codes preloaded. Depending on how many codes you use, it can be a lot of work to manually enter your diagnosis and treatment codes in the software. Also some specialties may not be supported.
The Frequently Asked Questions for other categories are on individual pages as follows – just click on the link to go to the section.
If you have a question about medical billing careers that’s not answered here, feel free to ask here.
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