Does ABS collect the money from the claims for my business? No. ABS does not collect money for you. All billing lists your business as the payee.

What happens with accounts that are old and have never been billed? ABS will check with the insurance companies and bill any accounts that can still have a claim submitted. Most insurance companies have a one-year period to submit claims, but there are some that have a longer period.

What happens with accounts that may need to go to a collection agency? ABS has a contract with a local collection agency that is licensed in most states. If ABS is unable to get the accounts paid in the normal billing fashion, we will contact you. If you decide you want the account to go to collections, ABS will work with the collection agency to collect your funds. The payments will go to the collection agency, who will pass them on to you.

Can all accounts be sent to the collection agency after a certain period of time? You can request that any account over a certain period of time automatically go to a collection agency. ABS would prefer to contact you prior to submitting an account to the collection agency, as you may know of special circumstances your client is facing and are willing to work out a different arrangement with them. However, if you would like to set up a standard for your business, ABS will set this up for you. You will be notified of all accounts in default through the regular reporting ABS gives you.

Do I need to purchase any equipment or software for ABS to do my billing? No. ABS has purchased the software needed. If you don't have a fax machine or email capabilities, everything can be done through the mail.

If I have ABS do my insurance claims, can I still do my own patient billing Yes. ABS will only provide the services you choose. You can choose one or more of the services we offer, whatever will work best for you.

How often do I need to send ABS charge slips, payments, EOB's etc? We would prefer you send us information daily or weekly. Because our goal is to improve your cash flow, this will insure that claims are submitted at least weekly and you will be receiving payments weekly.

How often does ABS bill me? It depends on what type of contract you set up with ABS. Practices are billed monthly or bi-weekly. ABS must bill at least once a month because we have monthly costs associated with the number of claims we submit or the number of patient statements we send out..

If I am a single doctor office, can ABS still do my billing if a doctor joins my practice? Yes. ABS will add the doctor to your practice and bill under you until they are set-up through the clearinghouse.

What if my office is closed for vacation? We ask that you send all information to us the last day you are in the office with a note telling us how long you will be closed.

Is there a monthly minimum I will be charged? No. We want to be successful and to be successful; your practice needs to be successful. Our costs are directly associated with the amount of billing we do for you, if we aren’t billing, we don’t incur additional costs that need to be covered. .

Is there a fee for adding new patients to my practice? No. Again, we want you to be successful and if you add patients to your practice, that is another bill ABS submits and collects on. .

Why are additional fees not required by ABS when most billing services do require them? ABS does not require some of the standard fees other billing services require because we are a small company that likes to provide personalized service. We select our potential customers on the basis of being able to provide them with quality service while keeping our overhead costs down. ABS has been successful with the current system. .

Can ABS refuse to do my electronic billing? Yes. ABS will not do your billing if your license or contract numbers with the insurance companies are not valid. If your license has been suspended or revoked, you will not clear the set-up and we will not be able to electronically file for you.
ABS may also elect to stop doing your billing if they see that you are submitting claims with questionable coding. We will make every effort to resolve any coding issues with you.

Can I choose to have ABS stop doing my billing? Yes. A written 30-day notice is required for you to have ABS stop doing your billing.

Can I fax my charge slips and EOB's to email? Yes. ABS gives each customer a mailbox they can use to fax to or just for communications. Because charge slips are 2-sided, if the patient name and the date are not on the back of the charge slip, ABS asks that you number the front and back of the charge slips with the same number so we can easily match them up.

How do I answer client questions about their bills? You can refer all billing questions to ABS. Our number is listed on their statments so they can call us directly. If you make any special arrangements with a client, you need to fax, call or email ABS and let us know so we can follow the arrangements you have made.

Can I refer ABS to colleagues? Absolutely. ABS welcomes referrals. You can contact us with the potential clients information, or you can give them the information to contact us by mail, fax or email.

Will ABS give my name out as one of their customers? No. Your privacy is very important to us. In the event a potential customer would like a reference, we would get your permission to give them your name. If you did not want to be a reference, you are not required to be.

What does AAPC Certified mean? AAPC stands for the American Academy of Professional Coders. Certification requires passing a coding exam. To maintain certification, CEU (continuing education units) must be obtained each year. The academy provides useful information and workshops on billing in general and for specialties. .