Your front office staff is one of your biggest resources for improving efficiency, specifically in terms of scheduling and registration, verifying eligibility, collecting financial information, and monitoring accounts.
These trusted individuals are the face of your clinic, responsible for greeting each patient who walks through your doors. Their interactions with patients are crucial to streamlining the processes within your office, and here’s why:
Scheduling and Registration
As the first to greet patients, your front office staff has the opportunity to get to know those who call or come for a visit. This consists of understanding each situation, including your patients’ medical and financial needs. It is also the perfect time to collect demographic information and confirm insurance.
Verifying Insurance Eligibility
Your front office staff is busy, often with a line of waiting patients and a console of blinking lights. A solid insurance verification process can help reduce their stress and, ultimately, your denials. At the very least, this process should determine:
- Payable benefits
- Copays
- Coinsurances
- Deductibles
- Type of plan and coverage details
- Claims mailing address
- Referrals and preauthorizations
Collecting Financial Information
A quick glance at a patient’s account offers a comprehensive picture of their financial standing with the clinic. Should a patient have an outstanding balance, your staff can offer them a variety of payment options—online pay, pay by phone, pay by mail, mobile pay, financing, payment plans, and more—to help expedite A/R. Moreover, employees can give information about financial assistance programs to help cover prior fees and/or upcoming expenses.
Encourage your staff to be completely transparent about costs for appointments, procedures, and other treatment options. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to start with higher dollar amounts rather than “low-ball” fees.
Above all, remind your staff to be kind, courteous, and understanding—your patients will always remember the way they’re treated, especially in difficult circumstances.
Monitoring Accounts
Conrad Hilton once said, “Success seems to be connected with action.” For your clinic to be successful, you need an active front office staff, one that consistently monitors patient accounts for missing information, balances, and more. Encourage your staff to regularly review charts for data entry errors and set aside time to review patient aging reports. Both practices can reduce extra costs to your clinic and help you collect fees more quickly.
Contact us today to learn more about how our complete suite helps your front office staff increase the onboarding efficiency.
