medical billing software

7 Things You Should Look for in Great Medical Billing Software

Not all medical billing software is created equal. Discover 7 things you should look for when choosing the right software for your medical practice.

Are you in the market for a new medical billing software for your practice? If so, how do you choose which one is right for your business?

There are important things to consider when deciding on software, including cost, security, features, and more.

Keep reading to learn the seven most important things to look for choosing the right medical billing software.

Budget1. Does It Fit Your Budget

Your budget is a large deciding factor when choosing medical software. To know your budget, you'll need to know your needs first.

Write down the features and capacity you will need in a software. Then, think about how much you can (or are willing to) spend up front as well as over time (monthly/annually subscriptions).

Be sure to look for fees and added costs associated with multiple users, user expansion, cloud storage, and support. Ask the vendor to provide you will a total of all costs before you decide. In addition, be sure to compare side-by-side the features and the costs of each program.

2. Features

When choosing a software, you should first determine the capacity of software you need for your practice. Each software will have different features for different sizes and types of medical businesses. For example, it doesn't make sense to get a software created for a large hospital with many locations if you have a small, one-location eye care center.

Consider if you need software to connect multiple locations. Also, how many users will need access?

Furthermore, consider the tools you need. Do you need cloud-based features? What about offline access? The best way to decide on a software is to write down your needs and find one that best suits them.

3. Support

As with all new programs, you and your staff may need support throughout the learning, adapting, and use of the new medical billing software. To save money, time, and to keep clients happy, make sure the software company provides excellent support.

Good software support should include installation, training, maintenance, and ongoing technical support. Preferably, support will offer year-round 24/7 technical assistance.

Another thing to consider is the cost of support. Some software offers free technical support while others will charge you a monthly or annual support fee. Think about this when deciding your budget and how much you're willing to spend on software.

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4. User-Friendly

You don't want to buy software that none of your staff can use. You also don't want the difficulty of a software to end up causing mistakes in billings, claims, and patient information.

One way to test the ease-of-use is to compare the new software to the old. Your staff will have the easiest time transitioning and getting used to a new program if it is similar to ones they have used in the past.

Also, go through the user interface and look at how its structure. Is it easy to follow and understand? How many steps does it take to get to where you want to be?

Another important question is whether errors are easy to fix. Look at how to update data as well as the access to support.

Of course, ask your staff to try out the software before you purchase it. Look for medical billing software companies that include staff training as well.

5. Data Encryption and Security

Data Encryption

Security is something you should not take lightly when shopping for medical billing software. Failure to abide by HIPAA confidentiality requirements can lead to dire consequences.

When choosing a medical software, make sure it has 128-bit data encryption at least. This keeps any submitted information safe from unauthorized eyes online.

Your software should also have multi-level user authentication. This means that each person who uses the program must have a password and a role. Access to certain information depends on the role of the individual and knowing correct password. It also includes password security, too, and timed log offs after a short amount of time of non-use.

Security should also include audits, which keep records of all the logins, activities, and files opened in the software.

The best medical billing software will have scheduled backups to prevent loss of data. The backup will download the data to a hard drive.

6. Claims Management

You will need a medical billing software that includes full claims management. Electronic claims submission to insurance companies makes claims processing quicker, easier, and can save your practice money. It also lets you get paid quicker, too.

Look for medical software with claims management that allows users to edit claims forms. This means not having to print them out and scan them and the ability to add notes and fill them out with a mouse and keyboard.

You will also want claims software that includes error correction. This allows users to highlight missing information, fix issues with policy numbers, and lower the amount of rejected claims. You'll save time and the hassle of dealing with declined claims due to errors.

Free Trial7. Trial Period and Training

Look for a medical billing software that offers a trial period. This will allow you to try out the software before you purchase it. Trial periods for most programs last 30 days.

In addition, great medical software applications will offer training for staff members. On-site training is best.

With on-site training and a free-trial, you can test how suitable the application will be for your staff and your needs. The staff is the one who will be using the product the most. Be sure to consider their opinions before deciding.

Let us Help you Find the Perfect Medical Billing Software

It is important that your medical software and practice is efficient, secure, and time-saving. Keep these seven important aspects in mind when shopping for your medical billing software and you can't go wrong.

For a little extra help in deciding, check out our 2018 medical billing service reviews. We will walk you through the best medical billing software on the market right now and compare their prices, too.

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Author: Hudson Piccini

Hudson Cynar, a Harvard University alumna and the owner of three prosperous enterprises, is a distinguished business consultant, author, and writer. Her expertise spans multiple business sectors, with a particular emphasis on storage containers, commercial copiers, payroll services, and medical billing software. Dedicatedly investing thousands of hours into product and service research, Hudson crafts insightful reviews to guide entrepreneurs in making informed decisions for their businesses.