Advancement in healthcare technology has transformed the medical billing industry. It’s now efficient, cheaper, and flexible to prepare durable medical equipment bills. Traditionally, coders and billers would waste a lot of time preparing and submitting claims to payers manually. While some still depend on these burdensome manual processes, most healthcare professionals have moved into the digital system. If you’re a DME/HME provider, this guide will give you a clear perspective on the impact of technology on your business.
Business Growth
Over the years, home medical equipment businesses have experienced tremendous growth. The U.S. population is aging and increased access to healthcare insurance means more people can apply for HME devices. Many people who need medical equipment such as wheelchairs, CPAP machines, hospital beds, and oxygen tanks need an efficient DME/HME process to get home-assistive devices on time.
As the demand for durable medical devices surges upwards, it means suppliers have to do more ordering and billing to keep patients happy. It also means they’ve to minimize billing errors, avoid denials, and manage orders efficiently. However, they cannot make their workflows and supply chains run smoothly if they use manual coding and billing.
That’s why most companies have opted for software programs such as the DME billing software to help them manage orders and provide much-needed equipment on time. Here are the most important advantages you can get by using software to manage your DME/HME orders and billing:
- With thousands of pre-defined rules, the HME software ensures all your documents are free from errors.
- Since it relies on cloud storage, it means you can access your business and make decisions wherever you’re.
- Because it integrates well with existing healthcare technology systems, such as electronic health records (EHR), it expedites the patient intake process, making it seamless and easy.
- Unlike the manual process, using a DME digital tool allows you to gain insights into business performance as you can get real-time intelligent analytics.
- Through the web-based version of the software, you can maintain an e-commerce-like site, where you can check customer requests, manage pending orders, and check the status of all orders.
The technological advancements not only assist DME/HME suppliers but improve the way physicians, insurance companies, professional billers, and healthcare staff handle medical billing. With technology, healthcare stakeholders can benefit from tools that streamline functions, minimize burdens, and increase cash flows.
Why Do DME Suppliers Need Technology?
Durable medical equipment suppliers can improve their core business through integrated business management software. Such tools handle unique functions and processes in any DME/HME process. As a provider, you need to understand that these automation tools are not just meant for reimbursement and billing purposes. They provide a hoard of opportunities businesses can exploit to gain an edge in the industry. Here are the primary reasons your DME/HME supply business must adopt technology:
Improve Efficiency
Delays in equipment delivery, mismanagement of orders, interruption in reimbursement, and poor customer satisfaction are all a result of inefficient manual systems. Adopting automation tools like DME/HME billing software allows you to automate various processes that traditionally take time and money. Technology can make your business efficient by automating workflows, eliminating human errors, and allowing evidence-based decision-making.
Circumvent Shortage of Labor
Want to make your DME business run all year round without experiencing some sort of labor crisis? We know that healthcare tasks, such as medical coding and billing, are burdensome and can require many people to carry out various tasks. This can be painstaking for you because the tasks are repetitive and strenuous. It becomes even more problematic when you can hardly find anyone to perform these tedious tasks. Automation tools from HME software are dedicated to performing these tasks, lowering your overhead costs, and ensuring continuity of business whenever there is a labor shortage.
Cut Down Administrative Costs
When sourcing equipment for patients, you need to understand many things, including the patient’s healthcare insurance, equipment availability, CMS compliance laws, and shipping requirements. It can be costly moving from office to office to do these tasks. Healthcare business automation technologies consolidate all these functions under one software. With an automation tool, you can manage inventory, shipping, billing, and reimbursements from one place. This significantly cuts down administrative costs and increases productivity.
Eliminate Paperwork
Paperwork is in fact the main reason payers reject claims. It’s also the reason why some teams can remain in the office until late at night. The durable medical equipment software can eliminate hectic document verification by flagging unsigned and unfilled documents. It’s also regularly updated with new compliance policies, allowing you to be up to date with compliance. Technology allows DME/HME suppliers to automate document handling and verification, making the process efficient, faster, and cheaper.
Increase Patient Satisfaction
Most DME/HME suppliers don’t know how to make their patients happy by enabling them to lead fulfilling lives. Luckily, technology provides a simple way of creating orders. Via your software, patients can make DME/HME orders from the comfort of their homes. They can also access 24/7 support and communicate with your teams any time they want. Through the platform, patients can monitor the status of their orders and approximate when orders will be fulfilled and shipped. You can use the software to provide various resources to patients, allowing them to know which may require out-of-pocket expenditure.
In the healthcare business, don’t play catch up. You can easily be left behind as other businesses grow and capture new opportunities. A good software solution provides you with the knowledge, tools, and systems to get your DME supply business on the technology bus. With the right software solution, you can streamline your operations, reduce human errors, and eliminate paperwork.
