Revenue cycle management, also known as RCM, involves the steps taken to bill clients and their insurers. In the behavioral health and medical industry, providers must follow a specific procedure to charge payments. When completing this process, they have to comply with every relevant regulation. In this blog post, we’ll explain the revenue cycle and the benefits of outsourcing behavioral health/medical billing.

What Is Revenue Cycle Management?
In revenue cycle management, a provider or company uses behavioral health/medical billing software to record and process payments. RCM covers the entire revenue cycle, which includes the following steps:

• Charge Capture: Converting a provider service into a billable charge

• Claim Submission: Sending a claim to a health insurance company

• Coding: Assigning an ICD code to each diagnosis and service

• Collections: Calculating the total bill and receiving the client’s payment

• Preregistration: Collecting the client’s insurance and payment information before their appointment

• Registration: Obtaining further client information to assign them a medical record number

• Remittance Processing: Posting or rejecting the client’s payment

• Third-Party Follow-Up: Collecting payments from third-party insurance providers

• Utilization Review: Reviewing the use of behavioral health/medical facilities and services in relation to their costs

Benefits of Outsourcing Revenue Cycle Management
As you can see, RCM involves many functions that need expert management to do correctly. If you make a mistake early on in the cycle, it can carry on to the next steps. Small medical and behavioral health practices often don’t have the resources to handle this process. In some cases, even larger providers can’t take on the work effectively.

That’s where outsourced billing services come in. They help healthcare providers by:

• Increasing Profits: RCM professionals understand how to enhance your billing efficiency. They also save you the costs associated with RCM training.

• Improving Security: A good RCM provider will offer full transparency about their process. They will also take every measure necessary to keep your clients’ personal information safe.

• Enhancing Customer Service: With someone else focusing on the complicated task of RCM, your staff can use more resources to serve clients. They have the extra time and energy to offer them premium care.

Outsourced Behavioral Health Billing From OrionOur outsourced billing team helps behavioral health professionals take care of RCM. Providers in the mental health and addictions fields prefer our services because of benefits like:

• More Than 30 Years of Experience: We understand how to adapt to the changes constantly happening in the industry.

• Percentage-Based Fees: Every month, we charge a fee based on a percentage of the payments you collected, not the payments charged.

• Behavioral Health Focus: Our team members understand the ins and outs of billing specific to the behavioral health field.

• In-House Clearinghouse: We have direct connections with more than 1000 insurance companies, allowing us to submit claims faster.

• AccuCare Integration: Our AccuCare EHR software works seamlessly with our billing services to increase efficiency and accuracy.

If you would like to learn even more about our outsourced behavioral health billing, contact us online today. An Orion representative will get in touch with you within one business day.

Many people consider physical and mental health problems completely separate from one another. However, medical and behavioral health professionals understand that the two affect each other. Addiction to opioids and chronic pain have physical and emotional symptoms that we shouldn’t ignore. By addressing both problems from all angles, we can curb the opioid crisis impacting the United States.

About The Opioid Epidemic
According to NIDA, about 2.1 million Americans had a prescription opioid-related substance use disorder in 2016. That same year, 626,000 had a heroin use disorder, and 15,000 died from heroin overdose. Overall, an average of 115 people die from opioid overdose every day. These statistics show only a small part of the impact that opioid abuse has on public health. It causes an immeasurable amount of physical and emotional harm to patients and their loved ones.

New Opioid Regulations and Their Effect on Chronic Pain Patients
As a result of the increasing opioid problem in the United States, the CDC issued new opioid prescribing guidelines in 2016. They suggested a lower reliance on opioids as the first line of care for pain. Many patients undergoing opioid treatment feel dismayed by these changes. The updates make it seem like the healthcare system treats them as part of the problem.

We believe that the CDC has good reason to change how we prescribe opioids. However, these patients have understandable concerns about an increase in the burden of chronic pain.

How You Can Help Patients Taking Opioids for Chronic Pain
Behavioral health professionals from all disciplines can help pain patients manage their symptoms. Healthcare frequently leaves pain treatment up to specialists and general providers, but you also have a part to play. Pain causes a wide range of psychological symptoms often left unaddressed. When we don’t target the emotional aspects of pain, substance abuse becomes more likely due to mental illness’ role as a risk factor. The patient also has a difficult time trying alternative and supplemental therapies because of mental health symptoms like fatigue and lack of motivation.

Additionally, tackling the emotional symptoms of pain could reduce a patient’s need to rely on opioids. That’s not to say that pain patients can “get over” their conditions. However, the APA states that research indicates that some forms of psychotherapy could work as well as surgery to relieve pain.

If you don’t already address chronic pain symptoms, consider what you can do for your chronic pain patients. Even starting a simple conversation could make a big difference.

About AccuCare and the Opioid Risk Tool
AccuCare and its new Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) feature make it easier than ever to monitor addiction risks in your patients. The ORT uses a research-supported questionnaire to calculate a patient’s potential for abuse. Answer a few simple yes or no questions, and the ORT automatically calculates a score that helps you understand your patient’s risk. That way, you can monitor patients with high scores and stop addiction before it happens.

Contact us to learn more about AccuCare features, or request a demo today to see them for yourself.