How to Achieve Smart Savings in DME Billing

Understanding DME Billing Expenses

Medical billing is a highly specialized area of operation, one that requires a high degree of skill and specialized knowledge. When it comes to DME billing, the truth of the words above can be felt more acutely. As all those engaged in the business of prescribing or providing Durable Medical Equipment, or DME in short, to their patients will readily testify, billing for such items and ensuring that their cost is reimbursed by the insurance companies to the fullest eligible limit, is not an easy matter. Besides requiring a high degree of specific knowledge in billing for such goods, billing for DME also demands extreme levels of precision and accuracy.

When the demands of the job are so stringent, it is no wonder that DME providers are always on the lookout for the best billers and coders in the market. However, this is something that is easier said than done. In the midst of the current dearth of skilled labor in the job market, coupled with increased wages and soaring inflation, recruiting such personnel has become both difficult and expensive. As a result, providers are having to settle for the second best and are ending up recruiting billers who leave a lot to be desired.

Saving Smart with DME Billing

In an attempt to ensure high quality billing performance without causing the operational expenses to spiral out of control, an increasing number of DME practices are choosing to walk the outsourcing path. They are engaging offshore DME billing specialists to take care of all their billing tasks. They are available as turnkey solutions where these external billing agencies take care of every aspect of the billing process, including following up on pending bills. In other cases, providers can pick and choose specific services, such as obtaining prior authorization or recovering accounts receivable, to be handled by these external specialists while the regular in-house staff takes care of the less critical parts of the job.

Both ways, providers benefit from increased collections, reduced denials and an overall improvement in the efficiency of the revenue cycle. It is worth remembering that outsourcing key billing tasks to professional and dedicated billers/coders is a great way to reduce errors in the medical billing process. It is also one of the most cost-effective ways to build a truly efficient billing process and introduce some really smart savings into your existing DME billing process.