Finding a good program for your billing needs is important to running a smooth operation. With statistics like the one done in 2011 where it was stated that 81% of providers said it takes more than a month to collect payment, there’s definitely something that needs to be done to change that. Here are some points to think about looking into behavioral health billing software.

1. Software upgrades and back ups
   Most behavioral health billing software companies will offer free upgrades and backups. However, some do not but this is extremely necessary to have included in your plan in order to keep your software up to date and functioning properly. You also want to be comfortable storing the information in such a way that you do not have to worry about system crashes or failures erasing all the important information.
2. Secure access
   Security is a huge issue when looking into behavioral health billing software companies because there will be a lot of sensitive information in the program such as patient details, credit card numbers, etc. You want to be sure that no one can hack into the system and cause identity theft to happen to one of your patients. The program should be available to an unlimited amount of users from all locations and devices without fear of a security breakdown.
3. Same day billing
   Judging from the statistic mentioned earlier as well as others, same day billing is not a very common thing. Having a software program that will bill your clients on the same day of their appointment or visit will be very beneficial to ensuring that your practice is paid in a timely manner.
4. Insurance claims
   Having behavioral health billing software companies to work with should make it easier to pursue unpaid claims, possibly all the way to collections. Within the software you may also be able to resolve any denied insurance claims and post insurance payments.
5. Patient appointment reminders and notes
   There would be no point in having a separate appointment system so if you can integrate your billing solution with the calendar that is ideal. This way the patients have access to make appointments, check appointments and read any notes on their profile. This would also make it easier for you and your staff to check all patient information at the same time in the same program, keeping everything organized and together.

If you can find these five points in one program at an affordable price, life will become so much easier and your business will run so much smoother, eliminating stress, worry and unnecessary headache.

Make sure you do your research on the company before deciding who you will go with. You’ll want to make sure you know your needs and wants before even looking into companies that offer billing software. By knowing what it is that you need, you will be able to compare that to the offer of each company, making it much easier to determine what company will best benefit your business needs.