Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much does Great Lakes Medical Billing Charge?
A.  We charge on a percentage basis of total revenue collected. Rates differ for each practice depending on services needed, specialty and size. We will gladly analyze your practice's needs and quote you a price. We do not charge additional fees for postage, forms or claim submissions.

Q.  Can I afford to hire an outsourcing service?
A.  The financial cost of in-house billing can far exceed the costs of hiring Great Lakes Medical Billing. Some of the costs associated with an in-house billing staff can include:

	wages		office space		vacation time
	turn-over/staff hiring		training		sick leave
	insurance		equipment		maintenance
	software upgrades		postage		supplies

Other costs associated with an in-house billing staff have more to do with your work environment. Imagine if...

• You no longer had to worry about billing and collections
• You knew follow-up on insurance claims and patient billings was consistent.
• You knew your practice's revenue was being maximized.
• Staff turn-over was not a concern.
  

Q.  How will I get paid?
A.  You will retain control over all payments. Your office will simply provide Great Lakes with accurate copies of any insurance checks, private payment invoices, and EOB's so that our office can update your accounts receivables.

Q.  Is Great Lakes HIPAA compliant?
A.  Yes, Great Lakes is fully compliant with all HIPAA privacy and security regulations. Your patient information is strongly protected. Great Lakes has implemented a system that goes beyond standard HIPAA security guidelines.

Q.  Where can patients call with billing questions?
A.  Patients will call our toll-free number with any questions they have regarding their claims or statements. Our staff is friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Ensuring your patients are satisfied with the billing process is extremely important to Great Lakes.

Q.  How do I get started?
A.  We start with a consultation to identify your billing needs, together we will determine the process that will work best for your practice and then lay out an implementation timeline.

Q.  How long does it take to get started with Great Lakes?
A.  Once we have all the information for your account, we can begin billing immediately.

Q.  How  do we get our existing patient data to Great Lakes Medical Billing?
A.  We can either download your current database into our system or have your office provide us patient information as they are seen. The latter option is preferred because this ensures accurate patient information.

Q.  What information will you regularly require from our office?
A. To efficiently and accurately bill for your office, we require copies of all superbills, patient registration, insurance cards, patient/insurance payments, and EOB's. 

Q.  How will we get this information to you?
A.  There are several methods including: Standard mail, fax, and courier. We can work together to determine the solution that works best for you. We do suggest you assign someone from your office to act as a liaison between your office and Great Lakes, whose responsibility it will be to ensure that we receive all relevant information in a timely manner.

Q.  How often will we send information to you?
A.  To maintain your revenue flow, we suggest information be sent to us on a daily basis.

Q.  How often will Great Lakes process our claims?
A.  Usually within 24 hours of receipt.

Q.  Can all claims be billed electronically?
A.  Most commercial insurance companies accept electronic claims. Because payments are generated much faster from electronically submitted claims, Great Lakes will submit claims electronically whenever possible.

Q.  How are insurance payments received and applied?
A.  All payments will be sent by the insurance carrier to your office. You will simply provide us with a copy of the EOB or check so that we can accurately post any payments and make any necessary adjustments to a patient's account. If the patient has secondary coverage, this coverage will be billed upon receipt of the EOB from your office.

Q.  How are patient payments processed?
A.  Simply provide Great Lakes with a copy of the check, money order, cash receipt, or credit card receipt for any outstanding balance, and Great Lakes will apply the payment to the appropriate patients' account. We can also provide you with a payment log for easy summarization of all payments received at the front desk.

Q.  How does Great Lakes handle denials?
A.  Upon receipt of the EOB from your office, we will promptly investigate any denied or rejected claim to determine the reason for denial or rejection. If the reason for denial is unsatisfactory, Great Lakes will write a letter of appeal and pursue the insurance carrier until payment is received or a satisfactory explanation of denial is given.

Q.  How does Great Lakes handle account balances?
A.  After all insurance payments (primary and secondary) and adjustments, are applied to the patient's account, Great Lakes will bill the patient for any outstanding balance.

Q.  How does Great Lakes handle non-payment?
A.  We will work with you to set up a system that handles your patients in a manner consistent with your policies. While Great Lakes Medical Billing is not a collection agency, we can send friendly reminders to patients with outstanding balances. With your permission, we can set up payment plans as well.

Q.  What reports does Great Lakes provide?
A.  Great Lakes can provide a variety of monthly reports regarding your account including, but not limited to; practice analysis, activity reports, and aging reports. Custom reports to suit your needs can be designed upon request.

Q.  Will I need to purchase any hardware or software in order to do business with Great Lakes?
A.  Not likely, the hardware required is a copier and a fax machine. If you want access to our server, you will need a computer with internet access. We can work with your staff to prepare the secure access route.

Q.  Does Great Lakes code superbills?
A.  No. All coding should be done by a certified coder or by the provider. Any un-coded superbills will be returned to the provider for completion.

Q.  How often does Great Lakes invoice it's clients?
A.  Monthly