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Medical Billing FAQ

Below is a list of some frequently asked questions. If your question is not found below, please feel free to fill out our contact form and one of our representatives will contact you as soon as possible.

Current Top Question

President-Elect Obama wants a universal health care program; what impact will it have on the medical billing services offered through ABS?

Financial Questions

Software Questions

General Questions

 

Current Top Answers

President-Elect Obama wants a universal health care program; what impact will it have on the medical billing services offered through ABS?

The Obama-Biden plan will not change anything about how our Licensees process claims. We have had a "national healthcare plan" since 1966; it is called "Medicare", and it provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans over the age of 62.

The Obama-Biden plan, if it passes, builds on the existing healthcare system, and will simply cover millions of additional Americans who do not currently have insurance. It will use existing providers, doctors and insurance plans.*

This means that if doctors are currently doing their own billing in-house, their will be burdened with processing a lot more claims. If they are smart and are outsourcing their billing, it will mean that medical billers will have millions of additional claims to process, which means that this type of national healthcare plan will make this business of processing claims even more profitable for those involved in it.

Here is a direct quote from the plan: "Inefficient and poor quality care costs the nation at least $50 to $100 billion every year. Billions more are wasted on administration and overhead because of inefficiencies in the health care system. Processing paper claims costs twice as much as processing electronic claims. And given current trends, this problem will only get worse as health care spending is expected to double within the next decade. "

All this is good news for Licensees of American Business Systems.

* Read more at www.BarackObama.com

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Financial Answers

How much does it cost to start my own business with ABS?

There is a one-time investment fee to start your own cash flow business with American Business Systems, LLC. You can review that fee on our investment page and see everything you will receive.

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What is the on-going cost to operate a medical billing business?

This depends on the type of business you are seeking to develop and the services you may choose to offer to accomplish your goals. At ABS you have a wide variety of services to choose from and the ability to grow your business to whatever size you choose. For example, some Licensees simply want a business they can do themselves at home part time. Others want to earn a full-time income.

You also have the choice of marketing only to doctors, or expanding your business to provide services to small businesses as well.

In short, the number and type of clients you want will affect your marketing costs. However, our entire system is very cost efficient, using tools that get attention and response. Many of the methods taught cost nothing but your time. Others involve sending out marketing materials that you get in your initial package, which you can reorder as needed.

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    Do you provide financing?

    We’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of new business owners nationwide who were seeking funding for their new businesses.

    You can go to funding options for more information. Or an ABS representative will gladly consult with you on the options available to you.

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Are there any hidden charges or annual fees for using the ABS Practice Management System™?

Absolutely not. There are no maintenance fees, software licensing fees, or software upgrade fees for the ABS Practice Management System™. Our Licensee package is complete, and your License is a Lifetime License. Any additional value-added features you choose to add to the standard System sometime in the future, as you grow, are completely optional.

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Software Answers

What kind of hardware/software do I need to use the ABS Practice Management System™?

If you have a PC and access to the Internet via a Web browser, you’re in business. (Recommended: Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.01 or above, Netscape Navigator v4.73 or above).

If you’ve purchased your computer within the last 4 years, you have a system that is more than adequate. A minimum of 512MB of memory and a high-speed Internet connection is recommended, but you can access our system even using a dial-up connection.

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Is it safe to send my data over the Internet?

Yes. The ABS Practice Management System™ uses the same state-of-the-art security technology you use when shopping, banking, or trading stocks on-line.

This is a communications protocol designed to transfer encrypted information between computers over the Internet. For our encryption, we use VeriSign SSL 128-bit certificates. This is the same technology used for on-line banking and by web sites that offer on-line purchasing. This exceeds current HIPAA security requirements.

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Where and how is my data stored ... and is it secure?

Your data is also stored at secure AT&T data-storage facilities. The data centers are custom designed with raised floors, HVAC temperature control systems with separate cooling zones, and seismically braced racks.

AT&T offers the widest range of physical security features, including state-of-the-art smoke detection and fire suppression systems, motion sensors, and 24/7 secured access, as well as video camera surveillance and security breach alarms. Backup online storage and online backup account files are rigorously segregated. There is no intermingling of one account's files with any others on the servers used to host the data.

The data storage meets the level 5 RAID fault tolerant disk arrays on proven Sun Microsystems Technology. Simply put, RAID technology efficiently writes and monitors multiple copies of data as it guards against disk failures and data loss.

Data is also backed up daily by our hosting facility and stored off site. In addition we replicate our data in a different geographic location (3,000 miles away from the host) as part of our disaster recovery plan.

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Is the ABS Practice Management System™ HIPAA compliant?

Yes the ABS Practice Management System is HIPPA compliment. We have a full-time HIPAA Compliancy Officer, which assures you that the online system is updated routinely to keep current with any changes. You never have to worry about being out of compliance. And you’ll never even notice when an update occurs.

It’s our job to have everything in place for you so all you have to do is pay attention to your clients. Medical billers who use software typically have to pay for and install any updates needed to stay in compliance.

Read more details here.

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If I run my business at more than one office, can I use the ABS Practice Management System™ at any location?

Yes. As long as you have access to the Internet and a Web browser, you can log into your ABS account from ANY location. You can even work from home, or a hotel or airport. The system is encrypted so security is not an issue.

And, if you wish, you can give the doctor and his/her staff access to certain parts of the system and they can login from their office to view the status of their claims and use some practice management features. You are in complete control.

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What happens with insurance carriers that do NOT accept electronic claim submissions?

Most major carriers allow electronic claims submission. For those that do not, we will print your claim on a standard "1500 form" and mail it to the carrier at no extra charge.

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What kind of reports can I generate with the ABS Practice Management System™?

The System offers a wide range of accounting capabilities so you can see who's paying, who's not, and how much. And since every report can be specified by date, provider, or location, the report you run is always the report you need, and, it is up-to-date and accurate, as all the data is being accessed in real-time.

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Can I use the ABS Practice Management System™ to bill patients?

Yes. You can use the system to print your providers' patient statements. Patient statements are designed to fit neatly in any #10 window envelope. In your training, you’ll learn how easy it is to provide this service.

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What do I have to do to submit claims electronically through the ABS Practice Management System™?

Some government carriers (i.e. Medicare and Medicaid) require the provider to fill out separate enrollment forms for electronic claims submission. For all other carriers, you can take advantage of our electronic claims submission immediately. Your Success Team coach will guide you through this step-by-step.

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Can I get a hard copy or a backup of my data?

Yes. You can print your data from your desktop or download it to your computer at any time.

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General Answers

Don't I have to go to Medical Billing/Coding school to be able to do this?

Absolutely not. You don’t need to be a medical coding specialist in order to file claims electronically.

We have over 1,500 Licensees, from every walk of life, most of whom had no previous medical training or background. The online system itself takes care of all the proper coding. You simply input the data provided on the patients’ information sheets filled out at the doctor’s office and the “superbills” the doctor fills out when seeing patients.

Our complete Self-Paced Home Study Course and optional Live Training class will teach you everything you need to know to start filing electronic claims for medical providers.

Some of our Licensees, once they got their first few clients, decided to get further training, but this was just something they did to further their education in this exciting field. It’s not needed in order to make money doing medical billing. See the next question.


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Do I have to obtain accounts myself or do you provide them for me?

ABS has a turnkey marketing system to assist you in acquiring accounts for your business. The system has been designed to be goof proof and, better yet, to interest doctors and business owners so they call you. Our training program shows you step by step how to use the marketing system.

The most valuable skill you must acquire as a business owner is the ability to find and develop new clients on an ongoing basis. Our exclusive system is proven and you don’t have to develop marketing materials yourself.

Once you become an ABS Licensee, we can also locate telemarketing companies that can help get you appointments with interested office managers. Or, we can show you how to find qualified sales reps who can bring you all the business you can handle. At ABS we believe that you have not truly accomplished financial freedom until you have acquired the skill to generate business independently. It is our goal to provide the personal coaching you will need to develop these skills with confidence.

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Does ABS offer any of its services direct to medical providers or businesses?

No. ABS only offers its services through its Licensees, who operate their own independent billing companies. We do have certain providers who have agreed to participate in our ongoing testing and quality assurance program. We file claims for this select group because this is the only way we’re able to have current, live experience of all facets of our online system.

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Why should I go with ABS when I can go to a billing/coding school that has a smaller investment?

There are a number of "schools" and courses that you can find on the Internet that promise to teach you "medical coding,” “medical terminology,” “medical billing" and more. All these do is help you find a job working in a doctor’s office.

And, of course, there are several books on Amazon.com that will teach you about electronic claims filing. However, just remember, you can order all the books about medical billing, take all the online and by-mail courses, even become a "medical coding expert,” and if you never sign up a doctor, you have wasted your time and money.

The thing to remember though is just because you would have gained the knowledge on medical coding does not mean you can start billing with just that knowledge. You would need to purchase additional software packages that allow you to input data and file medical claims.

But, there’s more to building a successful medical claims business, or even just learning a new software program. You need marketing systems and business operation systems that work. If you currently hold a job, this can mean you have a steep learning curve ahead of you.

You need to consider the cost and time of developing and marketing your new business which is what helps you to sign clients. All the medical coding knowledge in the world won’t do you any good if you never sign up and keep clients. This is the hardest challenge any new business owner faces.

That is why you will find many of the "billing services" listed in the Yellow Pages are disconnected numbers. They are people who read these books and took these courses, and never got a paying client. The cheapest answer often has hidden charges. . . and failure to achieve a profitable business makes these options the most expensive of all.

The success of Licensees is what makes ABS shine. We can proudly say that most of our graduates from our live training workshop have their first client within 30 to 60 days – even if they’re building their business part-time.

Ask anyone who has invested time, energy and money in these schools' courses if they should have invested in a proven system of training and marketing, and the support from a company that knows how to get paying clients.

Your return on investment with a proven system will be much greater, and many times faster, than if you try to go out and build your billing business piece by piece. Do not make the mistake of reinventing the wheel.

The ABS system is proven and has a track record of success. Since 1994 our complete turnkey system has helped Licensees successfully build their own billing business. What separates ABS from others in the industry is that we continue to update our processes and methods on a daily basis so that you get the maximum mileage out of your investment.

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How long will it take for me to get my first clients?

This depends entirely on the time you have available to build your business. Most of the Licensees that have full-time hours to build their business normally have their first account within the first 7 to 30 days of starting their business.

Licensees that only have part-time hours to devote to their business usually have their first account in 2 to 3 months. Almost all of our Licensees work strictly from referrals once they’ve gotten their first account.

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How many ABS licensees are already doing this in my area?

Each area varies, however, we stand firm in our original business model: to place a small handful of Licensees in every metropolitan area to penetrate a substantial volume of transactions. This will create a nice residual income not only for our Licensees but also ABS.

Our goal is to keep Licensees from running into each other and we have successfully accomplished this. We will never be in the position where we are supporting two different Licensees bidding for the same client.

Our bottom-line is important. It is much more cost efficient to place fewer Licensees in each area that are producing substantial transactions, which reduces our support and administrative overhead. However, you must keep in mind that if you come into this business and acquire the accounts you originally set out to achieve, and you become satisfied with your income and stop marketing and expanding your business, we will do a market analysis and determine if we need to place more Licensees in the area.

Remember, the average medical billing office handles only 8 to 12 accounts (this is if they are full-time – you may only need 1-2 accounts if you plan to work part-time).

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