At AZZLY^®, we believe that with the right training and support, any dedicated mental health and addiction treatment professional can submit accurate claims. That is why we designed AZZLY Rize^™ with automated revenue cycle management (RCM) tools to support accurate coding and made our expert billers and coders available to help our clients transform their revenue cycle.

At the same time, we acknowledge that taking billing in-house might not be the right decision for every treatment organization. Whether it is due to staffing, the volume and complexity of your claims, or simply your bandwidth, some treatment center owners decide it is best to have someone else manage their revenue cycle.

In this blog, we will discuss some of the factors that determine whether to handle medical billing in-house or utilize a third-party biller.

1. Expertise and Knowledge in Behavioral Health Billing

Billing for mental health and addiction treatment services requires specialized knowledge and expertise in behavioral health billing codes, modifiers, regulations, and reimbursement processes. It is essential to accurately code and document services according to industry standards to avoid costly errors, denials, and delays in reimbursement. Outsourcing medical billing services to a specialized billing company that understands the unique billing requirements of mental health and addiction treatment can significantly reduce the risk of coding errors and ensure proper reimbursement.

By partnering with a billing service that is seamlessly integrated with the clinical electronic health record(EHR) that specializes in behavioral health, treatment centers can tap into a team of experienced billing professionals who are trained in the nuances of billing for mental health and addiction services. These experts are well-versed in the latest coding guidelines, regulations, and reimbursement policies, ensuring that claims are accurately coded and submitted in a timely manner. This expertise can greatly reduce the risk of billing errors and rejections, leading to improved cash flow and revenue optimization.

2. Increased Efficiency and Focus on Patient Care

Transitional medical billing services can bridge the gap and allow for a billing staff to get trained and comfortable on a new billing platform. Managing the billing process within the EHR in-house can streamline the billing process, adding valuable time to patient care not paper. By bringing billing services in-house, treatment centers can delegate the administrative burden of billing and coding to a specialized team, allowing their staff to focus on delivering the best care possible to their patients. 

Moreover, the use of an electronic health record (EHR), patient management (PM), and revenue cycle management (RCM) solution like AZZLY Rize, which is built for behavioral health coding, streamlines the billing process and improves efficiency. Behavioral health billing software automates tasks such as coding, claims submission, and payment posting, reducing the need for manual data entry and paperwork. This automation can significantly reduce the time and effort required to manage the billing process, allowing treatment centers to allocate more time and resources to patient care.

3. Reduced Billing Errors and Denials

Billing errors and claims denials can result in delayed or lost revenue, which can significantly impact the financial health of mental health and addiction treatment centers. Experienced medical billing services can help minimize billing errors and denials, ensuring that claims are submitted accurately and timely.

A specialized billing service utilizes behavioral health billing software that is designed to catch coding errors and discrepancies before claims are submitted. This software can perform real-time audits, validate patient information, and ensure that claims are coded and documented correctly, reducing the risk of billing errors and denials. Additionally, billing services have processes in place to handle claims denials and appeals, ensuring that denied claims are addressed promptly and efficiently.

4. Improved Cash Flow and Revenue Optimization

Optimizing revenue is crucial for mental health and addiction treatment centers to sustain their operations and provide quality care to their patients. Utilizing integrated medical billing services can help improve cash flow and revenue optimization by reducing “human” input errors, accelerating the claims submission process, and minimizing denials.

Leveraging behavioral health billing software like AZZLY Rize streamlines the billing process, leading to faster claims submission and payment posting. This can result in faster reimbursement and improved cash flow, allowing treatment centers to better manage their financials and allocate resources where needed. Moreover, by reducing billing errors and denials, outsourcing medical billing services can help maximize revenue and optimize the overall financial performance of mental health and addiction treatment centers.

5. Compliance with Billing Regulations and Industry Standards

Compliance with billing regulations and industry standards is critical for mental health and addiction treatment centers to avoid costly penalties and legal issues. Specialized medical billing services can help ensure that billing practices are in compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards.

A reputable billing service like AZZLY Rize RCM Services stays up-to-date with the latest changes in billing regulations and industry standards, including those specific to behavioral health services. This ensures that claims are accurately coded and submitted in compliance with the latest requirements, reducing the risk of billing errors and potential legal issues. Additionally, a billing service can provide regular reports and audits to ensure that the billing process is in compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards, giving treatment centers peace of mind and confidence in their billing practices.

6. Cost-Effective Solution

Implementing internal medical billing services can be a cost-effective solution for mental health and addiction treatment centers. Managing the billing process in-house requires hiring and training dedicated billing staff, investing in billing software and technology, and dealing with overhead costs associated with billing operations. On the other hand, outsourcing billing services allows treatment centers to access a team of specialized billing professionals and leverage advanced billing software without the need for significant upfront investments and ongoing overhead costs.

By outsourcing medical billing services, mental health and addiction treatment centers can potentially reduce overhead costs, streamline operations, and allocate resources more efficiently. This can result in cost savings and improved financial performance, allowing treatment centers to invest in patient care, staff training, and other critical areas.

7. Access to Advanced Technology and Reporting

Do you have too many billing errors? Having trouble hiring experienced Behavioral Healthcare or Substance Use Disorder billers? Behavioral health billing and claims software, such as AZZLY Rize, is an advanced tool that can significantly enhance the billing process for mental health and addiction treatment centers. Utilizing these medical billing services provides access to this advanced technology, allowing treatment centers to benefit from its features and capabilities.

Behavioral health billing software automates various aspects of the billing process, such as coding, claims submission, ERAs and payment posting, leading to increased efficiency and accuracy. It also provides real-time reporting and analytics, allowing treatment centers to gain insights into their financial performance, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions. This advanced technology can help treatment centers optimize their revenue cycle management, improve cash flow, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their finances.

Handle Billing In-House or Utilize AZZLY Rize RCM Services? Either Way, AZZLY Can Help.

If you’re a mental health or addiction treatment center looking for a reliable and efficient medical billing solution, consider partnering with AZZLY. Their behavioral health billing software is specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of behavioral health services, and their team of billing experts are well-versed in the complexities of behavioral health billing. With AZZLY’s advanced technology, specialized expertise, and commitment to compliance, you can streamline your billing process, improve revenue cycle management, and focus on providing quality patient care.

Let’s Start a Conversation!

AZZLY offers comprehensive solutions that can help treatment centers avoid common billing and coding errors. Our modern platform solution purpose-built for mental health and addiction treatment centers integrates electronic health records (EHR), automates the coding process, verifies patient information, performs real-time audits, and provides ongoing education and training programs for billing and coding staff. By leveraging technology and expertise from AZZLY, treatment centers like yours can streamline your revenue cycle management process, minimize errors, ensure compliance, and maximize revenue.

To learn more about AZZLY, speak with one of our AZZLY EHR and RCM Experts. Grab time on your Account Manager’s calendar here. We are available to answer questions any time at hello@azzly.com or 1 (888) 400-3201. We want to get to know you!