A guide to finding the best medical billing software packages. Learn how to compare programs and find the right one for you...
There are several important factors to consider when looking for the best software.
If you're working as part of a billing service or medical practice, they may already have a medical billing software package for you to use.
But if you're working for yourself, or are responsible for setting up the medical billing division of an existing practice, you'll have to compare your options and purchase new software.
The main factors to consider when purchasing new medical billing software are (click to jump to that section):
Cost: If you're starting out for yourself, cost will be a defining factor in which software program you end up choosing.
But make sure it's not the only factor. The best medical billing software for you is not likely to be the one that costs the least.
The cheapest solution may cause problems down the road if you suddenly see a rise in demand for your services, or your clients change their billing requirements. Still, if you want to limit spending then see our cheap medical billing software overviews.
Volume: How many clients can you handle? If you're working for a practice, how many people does it currently serve?
Not all software is equipped to handle infinite volume, so take these questions into account. Your software should be specially designed to fit the volume of your business.
Insurance Requirements: Make sure your software is compatible with all insurance requirements. Fortunately, many of these requirements are standard. Most software packages meet them.
But this doesn't mean you don't need to check! For example: medical and dental claims are sent on two completely different claim forms. Buying dental software for a medical provider would be a disastrous mistake.
Not checking whether your software meets insurance regulations could add significant time to your billing process, or result in denied claims.
Interoperability: As the biller, you're the link between doctor, patient, and insurer.
To make sure that treatment moves forward while everyone's payments are credited, the billing process has to be backed by software that works with each and every other recording and claims system.
If you don't take interoperability into account you may find yourself stuck, and with unhappy clients to boot.
Be especially wary of this if you are working with a medical professional that specializes in a particular area, like mental heath or cardiology.
Here a few of the best medical billing software packages here for you to consider:
Advanced MD
Advanced MD is designed to help with both electronic health records management and practice management.
It's capable of handling 1.5 million claims per month, as well as billing, patient charts and electronic revenue capture. The practice management modules can also maintain patient appointments and treatment schedules.
Staff members can also interact with patients or access patient information from their mobile devices.
Advanced MD also features a claims scrubbing option that finds errors or denials of claims. This feature makes note of any change in claims operations or coding changes and lets you fix the claim before it goes out to the insurance incorrectly.
See our overview and rating of AdvancedMD
Allegiance MD
Allegiance MD is a web-based billing software package. It offers scheduling, EMR, billing, and practice management.
The benefits of a web-based system include multiple mobile access points as well as uniformity of software. You also don't have to worry about things like periodic version updates, which are common with software based systems.
Allegiance performs all of the same functions as Advanced MD but also has training and support for their online system.
Allegiance also claims that your data will be fully secure in their data centers, with a 99.9% up-time guarantee. This takes some of the pressure off of managing patient data if you work for yourself or a small practice where space is an issue.
See our AllegianceMD overview and rating
Allscripts
If you are starting out and looking for a more affordable option then we recommend you consider Allscripts. They are as comprehensive as other larger systems but at a lower price. See: medical billing software prices guide.
Allscripts is also willing to work with clients on financing options which allow you to pay for the cost of the software over time.
It's web-based and designed to handle EHR, practice management and claims.
If you manage a specialty practice, Allscripts also maintains twenty templates which include customizable fields and options to match up to specific medical concentrations.
The Allscripts developers are also available to work with you on creating custom templates for your individual practice or client needs. You can also adjust these templates if you work from home or have a single client with unique requirements.
See our Allscripts overview and rating
No matter what billing program you choose, be sure to take into account how you will use it and how much time and money you have.
Finding the best medical billing software program for you makes a huge difference in your business - spend time on this important decision!
Click to see a collection of overviews and ratings of various medical billing software packages.
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