Doctor’s offices have, traditionally, been very independent. However, in a new age of customer service and increasingly complex medical billing procedures, it’s become a necessity for practices to hire a medical billing specialist. Between government regulations, the need for prompt payment, and insurance filing requirements, medical billing has become a career field in its own right. By trying to stay abreast of the topic themselves, doctors are losing valuable time with patients. Laymen simply aren’t as efficient or effective at handling medical billing due to the system in place, either, and trying to handle billing on their own can result in lost profits. Here are five reasons why doctors should hire a medical billing specialist:

1. You wouldn’t go to an accountant for a cold.

So why are you relying on medical or administrative staff to handle a financial management matter? Medical billing is a highly complex system, and like the highly complex systems of the human body, it requires an expert’s knowledge. Plus, by hiring a medical billing company, you’re letting your onsite staff devote themselves to what’s really important: caring for their patients.

2. Revenue will increase.

That seems like a bold statement to make, especially because many doctors are wary of spending the money to hire a service. However, it’s been shown time and time again that the vast majority of practices will have increased revenue if they use a medical billing service. There are a number of reasons for this. Medical billing companies get bills out faster, first of all. This increased efficiency means better cash flow. Second, they make few mistakes when filling out insurance paperwork, and mistakes mean lost revenue. Highly accurate filing means more payments, arriving in a more timely manner.

3. They do more than just file for insurance.

Most medical billing companies offer many more services than doctors realize. They have proprietary software which makes their own job easier, but it also makes keeping records at the office more convenient, for example. Others offer guidance on pricing procedures and services, guidance which is based on exhaustive analysis of regional prices and economic factors.

4. They’re up to date on medical coding.

Medical coding evolves quickly, and the process of staying up to date can be daunting. Those practices that choose not to work with a medical billing company may need to hire a certified billing expert simply to keep up. That often means being responsible for the cost of continued training. Medical billing companies, however, are able to cover their own training fees due to the large number of customers they can handle.

5. They offer professional support, around the clock.

Medical Billing Specialist are able to support their clients around the clock, whether it’s technical support, answering questions regarding insurance, or giving guidance on practice management. It’s an incredible resource to have available, for any practice, and one which quickly pays for itself. Hiring a medical specialist is a wise decision.