Process Manual for AR-Calling

Calling Script
Hi, I am (Pseudo Name) calling from provider office… Checking on claim status…



Courtesy Greet
·       How do you do today? (at beginning of the call)
·       Hope you have a very good rest of the day… (at end of the call)






















The NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Letter
Phonic Word
Pronunciation
A
Alpha
AL FAH
B
Bravo
BRAH VOH
C
Charlie
CHAR LEE
D
Delta
DEL TAH
E
Echo
ECK OH
F
Foxtrot
FOKS TROT
G
Golf
GOLF
H
Hotel
HO TELL
I
India
IN DEE AH
J
Juliet
JEW LEE ETT
K
Kilo
KEY LOH
L
Lima
LEE MAH
M
Mike
MIKE
N
November
NO VEM BER
O
Oscar
OSS CAH
P
Papa
PAH PAH
Q
Quebec
KEH BECK
R
Romeo
ROW ME OH
S
Sierra
SEE AIR RAH
T
Tango
TANG GO
U
Uniform
YOU NEE FORM
V
Victor
VIK TAH
W
Whiskey
WISS KEY
X
X-ray
ECKS RAY
Y
Yankee
YANG KEY
Z
Zulu
ZOO LOO





Contents



3.          Procedures…………….……………………………………………………7

           a. Claim paid and the check is cashed………………………………...8
            b. Claim paid more than 30days, paid to correct address and the                                   check is not cashed……………………………………………….8
            c. Claim paid to incorrect address……………………………………...9
            d. Claim paid to patient……………………………………………………9
3.4       Claim processed towards deductible………………………….………..9
3.5       Claim denied for Eligibility……………………………………….……….10
3.6       Claim denied for Timely filing…………………………………….….......10
3.7       Claim denied as duplicate………………………………………….……..11
3.8       Claim pended for additional information………………………….…....11
3.9       Claim denied for non-covered service………………………………….12
3.10    Claim denied for primary EOB…………………………………………...13
3.11    Claim denied for Capitation……………………………………………....13
3.12    Claim denied for Billing/Coding error…………………………………..13
3.13    Claim denied for Authorization…………………………………………..14
3.15    Claim denied for Inclusive/bundle/Global/ Exclusive.........................15





1.           Overview

In medical billing, AR stands for Accounts Receivable. Accounts receivable are the claims that are unpaid by insurance companies or patients. An A/R caller is a person who calls insurance companies about unpaid claims and tries to resolve the reason the claim is unpaid. The AR calling team and AR Analysts work hand-in-hand, and make sure the claims get paid. The coordination and cooperation between these two departments benefits the practice by quickly receiving payments. This is one of the most vital functions in Medical Billing.

The AR calling team Insurance does calling.

1.  Insurance Calling
AR caller reviews the work-order given by the AR Analyst and starts calling the insurance carriers to check on the status of the claims filed with them. If the claim has been processed, AR callers get the payment information. If the claim is denied, AR callers find the reason for denial and see whether they can fix the denial while they are on the call with the Insurance Carrier. If that is not viable option, the caller will note the reason for the denial and pass it on to the AR analyst to fix the Denial. In short, the caller contacts the insurer, gets the data on all the claims given in the work order, and reports back to the AR Analyst to make sure necessary action is taken on each claim.





















                                                                                                                                   

2.           SIPOC

SUPPLIER
AR Analyst Team
INPUT
Aging claims, Denied claims, Missing info request
PROCESS
Getting claim status from insurance company over phone.
OUTPUT
Requested information will be provided to AR analyst for further action.

 




































                                                                                                                                   

3.           Procedures                                                                          

3.1         Claim in Process

·         Claim received date
·         Processing time
·         Claim #
·         Ref #

3.2         Claim not on file

·         Effective date of coverage
·         Verify payer id/claim mailing address/fax # with Attention
·         Verify id # and group #
·         Timely filing limit
·         Ref #

                                                                                                                       

3.3         Claim paid

·         Claim processed date
·         Allowed amount, Paid amount, Patient responsibility, Write off
·         Check/EFT  date
·         Check # or EFT #
·         Check amount ( Single or bulk )
·         Check issued and cashed date
·         Pay to address
·         Need to request EOB only if the check is cashed.
·         Ref #
Action:                                                                                                          

a.    Claim paid and the check is cashed                

1.     Request the EOB and duplicate check copy thru fax (If paid date is more than 45 days from current date).

b.    Claim paid more than 30days, paid to correct address and the check is not cashed

1.     Verify the pay to address
2.     If the check was sent to correct address and the check was not cashed after 45days then request for stop payment, request to reissue a new check.
3.     If the check was sent to correct address and insurance doesn’t know the cashed information after 30days then initiate a check tracer.


                                                                                                                       

c.    Claim paid to incorrect address

1.     If the check was issued to incorrect address verify the provider address with their database
2.     If insurance has different address then get the procedure to change the provider address and send the necessary document.
3.     If the insurance has the correct address and the check was sent to different address request rep to reissue the check to correct address.

d.    Claim paid to patient

1.     Check with insurance as to why the claim was paid to patient.
·         Claim was paid to patient due to provider non par.
·         Claim was paid to patient since patient did not sign the AOB (Assignment of Benefits).
2.     Get the paid details, including the check information.
                                                           

3.4         Claim Processed towards deductible

·         Processed date
·         Check how the claim was processed ( in-network or out of network)
·         Annual deductible amount with the balance
·         Request EOB
·         Claim #
·         Ref #

Action:

1.     Get the complete split up details and request for copy of EOB thru fax.


                                                                                               

3.5         Claim denied for Eligibility

·         Claim denial date
·         Effective and termination date of coverage
·         Check  whether the patient has an active coverage with some other plan
·         Claim #
·         Request the EOB
·         Ref #
                                                                       

3.6         Claim denied for timely filing

·         Denial date
·         TFL
·         Claim #
·         Appeal address and appeal limit
·         EOB
·         Ref #
                                                                                                                       

3.7         Claim denied as duplicate

·         Denial date
·         Status of original claim ( proceed further )
·         Claim #
·         EOB.
·         Ref #
            Action:
           
1.     If we billed the claim twice check the status for original claim.
2.     Please verify whether it is corrected claim if yes request insurance to reprocess the claim.
3.     We submitted the claim as corrected claim however insurance didn’t receive as “corrected claim”.
4.     If another provider billed for same service and it was paid to different provider then get the appeal address and appeal limit.
5.     If this is a duplicate charges entry in billing software


3.8         Claim pended for additional information

·         Claim processed date
·         What information is exactly required and from whom ( Patient/provider) it required.
·         TFL to send the requested information
·         Address/fax #
·         Claim #
·         EOB
·         Ref #

3.9         Claim denied for non-covered service

·         Denial  Date
·         Claim # and ref #
·         EOB
1.     Claim can be denied for non covered charges under the below categories
a.     Patient plan –
                                                          i.    DX not covered
                                                         ii.    CPT not covered
                                                        iii.    Patient seen out of network providers
                                                        iv.    POS not covered
                                                         v.    Patient plan covers only specific type of services.
b.    Provider contract –
                                                          i.    Provider specialty doesn’t cover this procedure
                                                         ii.     This has to be performed in specific lab
                                                        iii.    Globally non covered charges





                                                                                                           

3.10      Claim denied for primary EOB

·         Denial  Date
·         Primary insurance name
·         TFL to send claim with primary EOB
·         Payer id, Claim mailing address, faxes # with attn.
·         Claim # and Ref #.

3.12      Claim denied for Billing/Coding error

·         Denial  Date
·         EOB
·         TFL to send corrected claim
·         Claim mailing address, payer id, and fax #with attn.
·         Claim # and ref#.
                                                                                                                       
Action:

1.     The following denials will come under billing/coding error.
Ø  Coding related issue
o    CPT and modifier  combination invalid
o    CPT/Dx not valid for DOS/ incorrect
o    4or 5th digit Dx is missing
o    CPT/Dx inconsistent with patient gender or age
o    POS inconsistent with CPT

Ø  Billing related issue
o    Member id # is invalid
o    Patient name, DOB and id # mismatch
o    DOS entered in not valid
o    Patient relationship is incorrect
o    POS inconsistent with CPT

3.13      Claim denied for Authorization

·         Denial  Date
·         Appeal address/ Fax with Attn
·         Claim # and ref #
a.     For an in-network physician authorization is not required. Explain this to rep and reprocess the claim.
b.    Authorization is required only if the provider is non par.






3.14      Claim denied for Referral

·         Denial  Date
·         TFL to send corrected claim/ appeal
·         Address/fax # to send corrected claim/ appeal
·         PCP name and phone #
·         Claim # and ref #
·         EOB

Action:

1.     Check with insurance whether it is HMO plan
2.     Forward to missing information – Tickler date 30days

3.15      Claim denied for Inclusive/bundle/Global/Exclusive

·         Denial  Date
·         Check with insurance can we resubmit with appropriate modifier or can we appeal.
·         TFL to send corrected claim/ appeal
·         Address/fax # to send corrected claim/ appeal
·         Included CPT with DOS/global period
·         Claim # and ref #
·         EOB
                                                           




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