As a Healthcare EDI professional, I am constantly amazed that some providers will not invest wisely in an EDI solution. Throughout my 20 years in the industry, I have seen and heard providers opt for standalone, disparate and free EDI solutions in order to save a few dollars a month. They would rather bypass integration, use multiple websites and/or free clearinghouses in order to cut costs in the office. Unfortunately, this line of thinking is actually costing the office more money than the integrated, all-in-one solutions available.
The time utilized to post payments, go to multiple payer websites to check eligibility or download claims, and/or read reports from multiple systems costs money. The time and effort spent utilizing these different systems adds up. Additionally, it is very difficult to streamline office processes when the systems are all different and change as updates occur. Reporting on revenues, rejection rates, dollars outstanding, etc. becomes difficult and inaccurate. In some cases, the office cannot accurately report on anything. We now live in an age where data is key to fixing problems. The second most important function of a provider’s office (treating the patients being the first) is getting payments in the door to keep the office running. Any good business needs to track this information. By skimping on streamlined services and solutions, the provider is not maximizing their revenues. By choosing the right all-in-one EDI platform, providers can actually save time and money..often times enough money to more than pay for the EDI services.