For Consultant Physician Dr Adrian Draper, maintaining complete control over the financial aspects of his practice is essential. Using Healthcode's ePractice biller Plus system to manage his practice billing has enabled him to achieve the control he requires.
For three years Dr Draper has been using the system to create medical bills and send them to insurers through Healthcode's electronic bills clearing system. He also uses the system to generate invoices for self-paying patients.
"When I started my practice I was spending a lot of time generating my own paper bills. Once I moved to the Healthcode system I noticed a big reduction in the amount of time I spent on paperwork and mailing."
Dr Draper finds the payment tracking feature an excellent tool for improving cash-flow. "Being able to record and track payments helps me manage debts more efficiently. With a summary of unsettled invoices to hand, I can chase up payments from individual patients in good time."
Getting to grips with the system was straightforward enough and Dr Draper soon became aware of the advantages several of the features offered. "The membership enquiry feature is particularly useful", he says. "I can validate a patient's insurance details online before sending the invoice. Sending bills through the electronic clearing system is a real time saver too and means I get paid more quickly by most insurers."
Dr Draper also uses the system for producing his annual accounts. "When my accountant asks for information at the year-end I can use the Healthcode report generator to produce much of what is required."
Dr Draper believes electronic billing is the future for private practice. "Much more efficient than paper systems and with features like payment tracking and reports, the ePractice biller Plus system has much to offer consultants managing their own finances like myself and also to medical secretaries who are looking after larger practices."