Find the Best Mental Health Billing Services for the Best Cost

A common problem when shopping around for mental health billing services is making sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.  The prices for mental health billing services range anywhere from 3-15%, with so many factors determining whether that percentage is actually worth its weight.  Here are some questions to ask when looking for mental health billing services:

1.  Do they do claims appeals?  Some mental health billing companies will only submit claims.  If they need to appeal denials, this may be either extra, or not a part of the services.
2. Can they help with patient collections?  While mental health billing services focus primarily on billing insurance companies, there are some that will assist with collecting from patients.  Many will not, so keep this in mind.
3. How extensive is their reporting?  Mental health billing services typically provide at minimum, monthly reports.  Although many companies 3% or lower may not, which means you need to log in to the billing software and acquire that information yourself.  Other companies may provide weekly reports on denials, as well as daily email summaries of claims worked on.
4. How responsive is their customer service?  You may have heard horror stories where billers simply stop responding to their clients, or are near impossible to get a hold of.  Don’t underestimate the importance of communication with your billing company of choice.
5. Do they offer credentialing and enrollment services?  Having the option to get credentialed or enrolled in Medicare/Medicaid through the help of your billing company is an added bonus.  Keeping everything streamlined with one service helps you stay organized and stress-free.
6. How flexible are they with software?  Some mental health billing services have their own proprietary software that you must use in order to enroll with them, while other companies will only work only with particular pieces of software.  Make sure you find a company that is versed on many software systems, in case you need to change platforms later on.
7. Do you have communication with company executives?  With most mental health billing services, you won’t be able to reach the CEO of the company.  But it’s an added comfort to know that you can reach out to the head of the service in case any major issues arise.
8. Will they perform patient inquiries?  Oftentimes you as a provider will need to run patient insurance verifications and pre-authorizations.  It’s important to find a company that will handle of this so you can focus more on patient care
9. Are they HIPAA compliant and open to signing a BAA?  If a billing company is unwilling to sign a BAA upon your request, this is a red flag.  It’s important to secure your privacy and make sure you’re following each and every guideline of HIPAA.
10. Do they have any additional fees?  Some mental health billing services will charge extra clearinghouse fees, startup fees, and customer support expenses.  Make sure to read every line of the contract provided by the billing company so you’re up to speed on how much everything is going to cost.  Month-to-month contracts rather than yearly contracts are also a plus.