We often get asked if there is a course or seminar that physicians can take so that they can bill for themselves. Currently, in most provinces, billing is included as part of the Medical Office Administration course which is not helpful for a physician that wants to bill for themselves. B
But what if there was a course being offered?
What are the advantages of having your own billing specialist vs. taking a course or attending a seminar?
A billing specialist’s entire focus is on billing and knowing the rules that apply to billing. As a physician or office admin you have so many other areas that require your knowledge and attention. Having someone to concentrate specifically on billing means that person has in depth knowledge of the rules and can apply them in a way that not only keeps you within the rules but also can maximize your income by knowing how to apply those rules in each situation. Having a billing specialist allows the physician to focus on patient care.
One area that is often missed is keeping up to date with updates and bulletins that are released by the Ministry of Health. In Alberta, there is information from bulletins that were released in the early 2000’s that applies to physicians but does not show in the current SOMB. A billing specialist not only keeps current, but also knows how to access and apply past bulletins as their only focus is billing. When you have a Sherritt Services Inc. billing specialist you have the entire team of specialists who work together to share this information with each other and the physicians they work with. Even if you were to take a billing course are you prepared to stay on top of all these changes? Do you know what information from past bulletins still applies today even though it does not appear in current publications? While a course may be beneficial in several ways, such as helping you to know how to navigate the rules and why details you provide to your billing specialist are so important, a dedicated billing specialist is most often one of the most valuable additions to your practice.