The medical billing process starts when a healthcare provider makes a physical examination and provides medical care to a patient. The diagnosis and medical services that are rendered by the healthcare provider to the patient are then translated into numerical codes drawn from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code databases. Medical billing software enables a medical biller to transmit a medical claim to an insurance company using an electronic claim (using the ANSI 837 electronic format) or a paper claim (using the CMS-1500 paper form). The insurance company processes the claim and delivers reports to a healthcare provider's medical billing software. Approved claims are reimbursed at a percentage of the billed services based on pre-negotiated rates between the healthcare provider and the insurance company. Failed claims are rejected and a notice is sent to the provider in the form of an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) report. Any copayment, deductible, or coinsurance amounts on approved claims or non-covered services on failed claims are then billed by medical billing software to the patient on a patient statement (also known as a "medical bill"). The frequency of rejections, denials, and over payments by insurance companies is high (often reaching 50%) and many healthcare providers also carry large accounts receivable (for an average of 75 days).

Effective medical billing software helps healthcare providers avoid the potholes of the medical billing process that can lead to serious cash flow problems within their medical practice. With Kareo medical billing software, healthcare providers can manage their medical billing process with ease while getting paid faster from insurance companies and patients. That's because Kareo medical billing software is the most user-friendly, easy-to-buy, and fast-to-deploy medical billing software on the market offering immediate benefits with reduced risk and cost.

Traditional Medical Billing Software versus Web-Based Medical Billing Software

Traditional medical billing software is being increasingly replaced in recent years by web-based medical billing software, also known as "online medical billing", "hosted medical billing software", "on-demand medical billing software", "medical billing ASP", or "medical billing software as a service". Today, more businesses are turning to web-based software, and specifically to Kareo, for web-based medical billing software.

Why? The medical billing process is more complex than ever and you need medical billing software that simplifies your practice and reduces the costs of your healthcare business. With web-based software, you don't need to make a large up-front software or hardware investment that's expensive to install and maintain. With Kareo's pay-as-you-go model, the price of success is dramatically lower.

• Web Medical Billing Software Offers Web-Based Access – You can access your patient and financial information anytime, anywhere. Simply login from any PC with an Internet connection.
• Web-Based Medical Billing Software Promises Faster Deployment – You can sign up online, learn medical billing software with online training, and start sending electronic medical claims within 2 business days.
• Hosted Medical Billing Software Provides Fast and Reliable Servers – Because we spread the costs over thousands of doctors, you access fast and reliable servers that most small businesses can not afford on their own.
• On-Demand Medical Billing Software Features Automatic Backups – We have sophisticated systems in place to ensure your medical billing information is secure and always accessible, including nightly backups.
• Medical Billing ASP Includes Free and Painless Upgrades – You get free quarterly updates that are automatic and packed with new features to address customer needs and industry changes.
• Online Medical Billing Software That's Low Cost and Less Risk – You pay a low monthly subscription fee, there are no startup fees or upfront costs, there are no long-term contracts, and you can cancel at any time.

To summarize:

• On-Premise Medical Billing Software – This is the old, outdated model. You purchase client/server software that requires an investment in IT infrastructure, including networks and servers, to run your software. You will probably also require IT professionals to install, deploy, and maintain your software. Periodic upgrades can be very disruptive to your business and you run the risk that your vendor will someday "sunset" your version.
• Web-Based Medical Billing Software – Web-based medical billing software, online medical billing software, hosted medical billing software, medical billing software-as-a-service (SaaS) – all these terms refer to the same thing: a new model for medical billing software deployed over the Internet. With this popular type of medical billing software by Kareo, there's no software or hardware to buy, install, maintain, or upgrade.

Medical Billing Software Features and Functionality

Not all medical billing software is equal. It's important that the medical billing software you select for your business is able to effectively manage the entire medical billing process in a way that simplifies your medical business and helps you get paid faster by insurance companies and patients.

With Kareo medical billing software, you'll manage the entire medical billing process from scheduling and pre-visit patient registration, to the doctor-patient encounter, to the insurance and patient billing and collections process, and finally, through the reporting on key performance metrics on the success of your business.

• Medical Billing Software With Patient Records Management – Kareo medical billing software gives you the features you need to organize your patient history and financial information online.
• Medical Billing Software With Insurance Eligibility Checks – Check insurance eligibility electronically with our medical billing software so you can prevent your healthcare providers from un-reimbursed services.
• Medical Billing Software With Scheduling and Superbills – Any successful medical billing process starts with scheduling your physician time so you can maximize revenue and improve patient satisfaction.
• Medical Billing Software With Coding and Claim Scrubbing – Kareo offers medical billing software that checks your claims against insurance company reimbursement rules so you can correct errors before claim submission.
• Medical Billing Software With Electronic Claims Processing – With Kareo, you get medical billing software that enables you to submit primary and secondary insurance claims electronically to over 3,000 payers.
• Medical Billing Software With Patient Statements – Use web-based medical billing software to prepare patient statements electronically and outsource printing, mailing, and postage to Kareo for processing.
• Medical Billing Software With Electronic Remittance – Kareo's online medical billing software delivers Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) reports so you can post payments automatically.
• Medical Billing Software With Document Management – Kareo's medical billing software-as-service (SaaS) lets you scan and store paper documents and receive faxes that are stored in a document management system.
• Medical Billing Software With Customized Reporting – Access dozens of standard reports, build custom reports and charts, and schedule email reports with Kareo web medical billing software.

Medical Billing Solutions by User, Specialty, and Payer

Medical billing solutions from Kareo are available for many types of users, medical specialties, and insurance companies. With thousands of healthcare providers in 50 states and 36 medical specialties, Kareo provides medical billing software solutions that are right for your business.

Kareo medical billing software works for many types of users:

• Medical Billing Solutions for Physicians – Healthcare providers, also known as "doctors" or "physicians", make more money and keep their staff happy and productive with Kareo medical billing software.
• Medical Billing Solutions for Office Managers – Office managers, also known as "practice managers", "practice staff" or "practice administrators", run their offices smoothly with our medical billing software.
• Medical Billing Solutions for Medical Billers – Medical billers, also known as "billers" and "medical billing specialists" use Kareo medical billing software to save time and get more done with automation of routine tasks.
• Medical Billing Solutions for Medical Billing Services – Medical billing services, also known as "medical billing companies", work with clients more effeciently on Kareo medical billing software.
• Medical Billing Solutions for IT – IT professionals, also known as "developers" or "programmers", simplify their IT and network infrastructure with Kareo web-based medical billing software.

Medical billing software provided by Kareo is used for medical billing in a variety of medical specialties:

• Ambulance Billing Software – Medical billing software for vehicles that transport sick or injured people between places of treatment, typically from illness to injury.
• Anesthesiology Billing Software – Medical billing software for healthcare providers that are trained to administer anesthesia drugs and manage the medical care of patients before, during, and after surgery.
• Cardiology Billing Software – Kareo provides medical billing software for doctors that specialize in dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels.
• Chiropractor Billing Software – Healthcare providers that emphasize diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the spine can use Kareo medical billing software.
• Dermatology Billing Software – Web-based medical billing software for the branch of medicine dealing with diseases of the skin.
• DME Billing Software – Medical software for billing of durable medical equipment (DME), which is a term used to describe any medical equipment used in the home to aid in a better quality of living.
• Family Practice Billing Software – Online medical billing software for the medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care to people of all ages.
• Hospitalists Billing Software – Medical billing software for the disclipine of hospital medicine concerned with the general medical care of hospitalized patients.
• Internal Medicine Billing Software – Doctors concerned with the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases can use medical billing software from Kareo.
• Mental Health Billing Software – Medical billing software for mental health conditions characterized by a level of cognitive or emotional well-being in the absence of a mental disorder.
• Neurology Billing Software – Kareo offers medical billing software for neurologists, a term used to describe the medical specialty dealing with disorders of the central nervous system.
• Obstetrics and Gynecology Billing Software – Hosted medical billing software for healthcare providers in the surgical specialty dealing with the care of women and their children during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Optometry Billing Software – Optometrics, which are health care professionals concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, can use Kareo for their medical billing software needs.
• Ophthalmology Billing Software – Medical software for ophthalmology, a branch of medicine dealing with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways.
• Pain Management Billing Software – Web medical billing software for pain management, a discipline focused on non-surgical solutions for the treatment and relief of pain.
• Pediatrics Billing Software – Medical billing software for healthcare providers that render medical care to infants, children, and adolescents.
• Physical Medicine Billing Software – Medical billing software for physical medicine and rehabilitation, which aims to enhance and restore functional ability for those dealing with physical impairments of disabilities.
• Radiology Billing Software – On-demand medical billing software for healthcare providers that study and apply imaging technology like x-ray and radiation to diagnosis and treat ailments and diseases.
• Surgery Billing Software – Medical software for doctors that use operative manual and instrumental techniques to investigate and treat a pathological disease or injury.

Web-based medical billing software by Kareo is used for medical billing in a variety of billing and payment situations:

• Patient Billing Software – Kareo medical billing software can be used to bill patients for so-called "self-pay" visits, otherwise known as situations that are not covered by their insurance companies.
• Medicare Billing Software – Medical billing software by Kareo can be used to electronically bill the Medicare federal government program that insures patients over the age of 65.
• Medicaid Billing Software – Web-based medical billing software for billing electronic medical claims to the Medicaid state government programs that insure low income and indigent persons.
• Blue Cross Billing Software – On-demand medical billing software by Kareo can be used to send electronic medical claims to insurance companies that do business under the Blue Cross brand.
• Blue Shield Billing Software – Kareo medical billing software can be used to bill payers that insure patients under the Blue Shield emblem.
• Commercial Insurance Billing Software – Kareo also offers medical billing software for billing all major commercial insurance companies, such as Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, WellPoint, and many others.

Kareo Web-Based Medical Billing Software

To wrap it all up, medical billing software is used to manage the medical billing process between healthcare providers, insurance companies, and patients. Effective medical billing software should simplify your healthcare business and help your doctors get paid faster by insurance companies and patients. Web-based medical billing software is superior to traditional medical billing software because it's more convenient, faster to setup, easier to learn, and lower cost. Kareo's web-based medical billing software provides all of the features and functionality that you need for your practice. Kareo's proven medical billing software solutions work for different types of users, medical specialties, and insurance payment situations. Finally, with Kareo's pay-as-you-go model, there is no reason not to try Kareo for your healthcare business. You can sign up online, pay a low monthly subscription fee, and cancel at any time if you don't see the immediate benefits of our medical billing platform.

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