Surgery center billers and collectors should follow up on at least 95 percent of cases with an open balance every month, according to a Regent RCM white paper.
The Center for Specialized Surgery's collections increased $125,000 per month in the past year, in part due to its revenue cycle management team's follow-up efforts.
Five best practices from Regent RCM's Gina Tolbert, who works with the Fort Myers, Fla.-based ASC:
1. Understand where accounts are outstanding and where the money is.
2. Start by working on big-ticket items.
3. Gather claim status information online instead of wasting time calling.
4. Using calendar alerts, set reminders to follow up.
5. Look for trends in denials and adjust claims accordingly to prevent future denials.