Frequently Asked Medical Billing Questions

Do I choose a Web or Server based Medical Practice Management Software Vendor?

Server-based medical billing software vendors have been the main stream technology for the last 25+ years. This is where the office has a dedicated computer and storage space normally located in their office. The positives is it is your data, you have access to it 24/7 and the cons are you have to manage it with upgrades, nightly back ups, and possibly hire a IT person to assist with computer issues. With new HIPPA rules the office is responisble to protect the servers from theft or fire (it is your patients data after all). You also need to have access to computers that are linked with your server to gain access to the software and uploaded images. Some server based products can help offices setup a virtual private network (VPN) to gain access over the internet as long as your server and computers remain on. Updates to server based software products are normally infrequent allowing the user to get used to how a feature works without seeing too many modifications to it over a period of time.

Web-Based medical billing software vendor products is becoming the new trend in technology. The cons to web-based software products are they aren't as mature as the server based products which meants they are continually trying to improve their products.. The bonuses are the web-based medical billing software company stores the data for the doctors in a secure location. Each web-based company varies on the level of security so if you are going in this direction ask them how secure is secure. Clients have access to their data 24/7 days a week anywhere you have internet access. I would also recommend reading the terms of services with each web-based software vendor as they normally have a 99% up time policy during the main working hours. Ask how often the system has gone down and how long it has taken to get it back up.

Web-Based practice management software vendors normally have frequent updates and enhancements to the software. Some users feel that the software is constantly changing and can get over whelmed to re-learning the software while other users love the new changes, the ease of use and the seamless integration of other software products.

Does my medical office need Electronic Medical Records, Electronic Health Records and/or Electronic Chart Files?

Electronic Medical Records, Electronic Health Records and/or Electronic Chart files is becoming standard in most medical billing software vendorcompanies. Look for medical billing companies that offer integrated pieces or "multiple" EMR vendors for options. Identify if your office really need EMR, EHR or charting products prior to paying for these additional services.

How does our Medical Office staff talk with the Medical Billing Software Vendor sales department?

As much as every sales department for a medical billing software company wants to help you find the right product for your medical office they also want to make a sale. Some companies go through 100's of leads a day and trying to manage those leads can become tedious but the sales person is going to work with the office that seems most interested in the product. I would recommend by visitng the companies websites you are interested in and either calling them or emailing them your contact information. Give them enough information to be able to assist you in their follow up. I would also recommend visiting the home page of this website for additional free tips and tricks on questions to ask your medical practice management software vendor..

Discounts, Price breaks, specials, Free Services?

Calling a medical billing software company your first question should never be how much does it cost? First this turns the sales person off or they may think you are a competitor trying to identify their pricing structure. You may also lose all options for discounts if you become seriously interested in the software later because your sales person may add you to the do not give discounts to list.

If you are really interested in purhcasing a new medical billing software product your first questions shouldn't be about price but about what the vendors software and services can do for you. Can the medical billing software reduce your offices A/R issues? Can the medical billing software send electronic claims to specific insurance carriers? What clearinghouse or houses does the medical billing software use? What is the ROI for using this medical billing software product? Do you get free upgrades? Do you get 100% wonderful support that can actually help your medical office? What are support policies? What is on the developers plate for new enhancements to the medical billing software this year? Ask 101 questions and listen to the replies. How does the sales representative sound on the phone?

When you have narrowed your search down to a handful of products now is the time to reveal these cards to your medical billing software company. Let them know you are interested in 2-3 products and you would like to know what the pricing structure is if you went with their medical billing software. Also, are they offering any discounts, specials or price breaks at this time? You normally want to talk with your sales person when you are ready to purchase within the next 2 weeks. Another free tip is that most sales representatives have to fill a quota by the end of each month and you may get "additional" price breaks waiting to sign on the dotted line that last day or two.

TIP: Web-based software companies tout that their software is free. They can offer free software because the medical practice pays for the software vendors SERVICES. This is another reason why calling the practice management software vendor and asking how much the software costs won't help because they will insist the software is free. When calling a Web-Based software company and pricing is brought up your question should be, "How much do your monthly SERVICES and setup fees cost?"

Why use medical billing software pro's website?

After many years of consulting doctors it seemed like we kept getting the question, "is there anything better?" Well, we hope to answer that question through this website.

This website was specifically created for doctors and office staff to gain the knowledge needed prior to making the phone call to the medical software vendor. You will no longer be on a demonstration wondering if this is the best it gets. You have choices!

Our hope is that this website gives you the power you need to make the right decision for your medical practice needs. You have some wonderful software vendors to choose from and we wish you the very best in your decision to find that perfect software.