We love learning about our customers! Today we feature, Jean, a billing specialist (and so much more!) from Community Ambulance Service. What’s her work music? What snacks are hidden in her desk? Watch to find out.

Jamie from Lumberton Emergency Squad reflects on the professionalism and compassion of AIM EMS Billing Services and the value of being able to access her agency’s patient information and communicate with her billing service whenever needed.

Anyone who knows anything about EMS billing knows billers have enough on their plate. EMS billers work hard daily to prepare claims, ensure compliance, address denials, and much more. They do a great job, but often focus so much on taming that mountain of day-to-day tasks that they inadvertently neglect EMS accounts receivable management. EMS accounts receivable management attempts to resolve debtor balances, but also tracks how much revenue comes in and how long it takes to receive it. When EMS billers don’t consistently perform these tasks, the entire agency suffers the consequences.

“Thank you” comes few and far between in EMS. Patients occasionally thank first responders, who definitely deserve it. They work in all climates, all environments, and whenever called. Behind the scenes, EMS billers and supporting staff are even less likely to receive recognition for their dedication and hard work.

EMS billing staff require complete, accurate data to submit claims to payers. If crews can’t document and collect all necessary patient care data and forms during a transport, EMS billers will have to play catch-up. These delays will disrupt the entire EMS billing process and later revenue collection.

Sometimes, EMS billing staff ask field providers to help find a copy of a patient care record. This might work out alright… until the field providers get busy with other things. Sure, the PCR ends up where it needs to be, but all the lost time adds up-and it’s expensive. If you want to bypass the delay, ePCR is your answer. Electronic patient care records combine with today’s advancements in data security to give the EMS billing department, the ambulance managers, and all of those involved in the QA/QI process access to patient care records at any time, on almost any type of electronic device.

Inevitably, senior ambulance billers will (and should) influence EMS billing software decisions. EMS billers are constantly under fire when it comes to compliance, rejection/denial rates, and efficiency. It’s not easy for EMS billers to manage all the demands of ambulance billing while still maintaining quality. In order to meet the high demands of ambulance billing, EMS billers need a software that works for them and not against them.

EMS-oriented groups continue to lobby on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and other major capitols to improve EMS reimbursement rates. Although we remain hopeful that government change will work in our favor, EMS administrators and managers continue to negotiate rates with private insurance companies and look for ways to increase billing efficiency. After all, what kind of EMS administrator or manager wouldn’t want faster and higher reimbursement on EMS insurance claims?

The EMS industry has a knack for using acronyms! We love to have an alphabet soup set of letters represent something important. The problem with that is, not all of the acronyms are common within the medical industry. MLS is not a standardized acronym for Multi-Level Stretcher although that comes together kind of nicely. ePCRs, purposefully only permit standardized medical acronyms which, while it can be frustrating to the MAF, multiple acronym fan, creates a much better medical document that can be used by other healthcare providers along the healthcare continuum as they treat the patient.

The holy grail of successful ambulance billing is an efficient EMS workflow that includes the entire ambulance service staff, from dispatch to first responders, EMTs, and medics to billers, all working together, and all on the same page. Clearly, open and effective communications, and EMS workflow between these key EMS operational areas will minimize the amount of time between dispatch, patient care and transport, billing, and receiving payment for services rendered.