Home
Billing  Home Business
Marketing
Medical Billing Software
Medical Billing Training
Careers
Jobs
Medical Billing Books
Electronic MedicalBilling
Website Development
Collections
Provider Resources
Privacy/Disclaimer
Online Appointments
Contact Us
Site Map

Medical Insurance Billing Software --Which is Best For Your Business?

Researching your medical insurance billing software options will be a time consuming process--but not doing your homework now may result in your choosing the wrong medical claims billing software and causing numerous problems for you in the future. Spending the time to really research your choices is well worth the effort

Most of the leading medical billing programs software should at least enable you to do insurance claims filing (both electronic and by paper), patient billing, scheduling, as well as provide detailed reporting and accounts receivables. Many medical billing programs will have options available for specific specialties such as dentists or electronic medical records (EMR) which are becoming very popular.

As if you didn't have enough decisions to make, youwill also wade into the debate of whether PC based software or WEB based software is better. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:

PC BASED SOFTWARE This is the traditional PC or client based medical insurance billing software which has been aroundfor years and is still the most widely used.

PROS:

  • Control--The medical insurance billing software is actually on your computer so if the software company goes out of business you still able to continue billing in most cases. (Although you would not have any technical support should you havea problem with your software).

  • No monthly fees--Typically you would only have a reasonable yearly and/or support fee and potentially an additional charge if your medical insurance billing software vendor releases a newer version.

  • Not dependent on the internet- Especially beneficial if you live in an area that does not have reliable high speed internet access.

  • CONS:

  • Larger upfront costs--While the cost of medical insurance billing software varies significantly, the initial investment can be thousands with some being well over $10,000
  • Limited access to data--It is far more difficult for your doctors to have access to their data. This often requires frequent calls from the doctors or their patients needing information about an insurance payment or a patient's balance. It also requires you to supply more weeklyand/or monthly reports for your doctors.

  • Installing and maintaining software--You will be responsible for installing the software and any updates and patches. You will also need to perform manual data backups and secure the data to meet HIPAA standards.
  • WEB BASED SOFTWARE With the evolution of the Internet, you can now easily find a wide variety of medical claims billing software.

    PROS:

  • Limited upfront fees
  • Easy access to data--You and your doctors can access your records safely and securely anywhere you have a computer and high speed internet access.
  • Unlimited users--most offer this feature at no additional charge.
  • No software to buy or install
  • No upgrade costs--The majority do not have additional yearly or upgrade costs, (but you know the drill, always check the fine print).
  • No server needed
  • Automated data backup online
  • Chance to Go Paperless

  • CONS:

  • Monthly fees--The monthly fees vary significantly between web based medical insurance billing software providers which and can be cost prohibitive if you have a lot of small doctors.
  • Dependent on the internet--if your internet service goes down you no longer have access to your data base
  • What do you do if they go out of business?--In our opinion, this is the negative you really need to look at closely. Make sure you are confident that you would still be able to access you data somehow should the web based software provider suddenly go out of business.
  • MEDICAL BILLING BUSINESS PACKAGES

    You will come across companies offering what are often referred to as "turn-key" medical billing packages. These typically consist of medical claims billing software combined with software training, technical support, as well as different levels of marketing assistance.

    But buyer beware! While these package deals are convenient and sound very attractive, they often come at a much higher price than you can get by buying the services separately from multiple sources (as is covered in great detail on this site). You also have the risk of paying a large upfront fee and having the company go out of business.

    Regardless of which option you choose, it is crucial that you thoroughly research each company. Don't forget the old standbys such as the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. Be sure to order a demo of each medical billing software you are considering and also visit some of the medical billing forums to get additional ideas.


    Sign up for our bi-monthly Medical Billing Insider Tips where we share information, tips, and techniques acquired through years of Medical Billing experience:

    Email

    Name

    Then

    Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
    I promise to use it only to send you Medical Billing Insider Tips.



    Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate.You should assume that the owner of this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the providers of goods and services mentioned on this website and may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline. Click here for more information.


    Return from Medical Insurance Billing Software to Our Medical Billing Home Page