WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A BILLING SERVICE
by Lyn Kelley Ph.D, LMFT, CPC

This month's newsletter is meant to encourage you to hire a billing service! As you know, I’m a big fan of “fee-for-service” and “getting paid at the time of service.” And of course, I encourage you stay away from managed care and not accept assignment of benefits with insurance companies. So why then, would I promote your use of a billing service? Here’s why:

Whether you are a coach or a therapist, your goal is to get paid your full fee. Fee-for-service clients generally want to pay with credit cards or at the end of each month from an invoice. Often they do not even bring their checkbook or credit card with them to your office. Often your sessions are by telephone. You need to spend your entire session focusing on their treatment, not on collecting money. You need to spend your time and energy doing what you do best – providing quality care to your clients, and promoting yourself to new, potential clients. You should not be doing paperwork at all (other than writing reports you’re getting paid for)! You should not have to worry about the money.

It’s actually quite easy to get paid when you have experts working for you. I’m a big fan of hiring experts. I want to focus on my expertise, and allow others to assist me in areas I do not care for or do not have expertise in. I learned this from watching successful business people. The most successful entrepreneurs are never afraid to let go of control and allow others to work for them.

I’d like to recommend a billing service called Therapy Partner. I met the owner/founder Dr. Jessica Dolgan at my Denver seminar and got to know her, her associates and her business. Therapy Partner is the first web-based billing and practice management application designed specifically for therapists by therapists. I feel they have an outstanding service and strongly recommend you contact them for your FREE ONE HOUR CONSULTATION (let them know I referred you). Their fees are very reasonable considering what they can do for you. Here are some of the benefits to you:

Here are some of the services they provide:

Services

Therapy Partner offers five distinct services: Online Billing, Statement Distribution, Collection Services, Payment Plan Management, and full Customer Support. Unlike many software programs, our services are offered on the internet. Providers completely manage billing procedures in one system that can be accessed from anywhere.

1. Online Billing:
Our online billing service prevents therapists from purchasing costly merchant readers for their business! Providers can log on to our website and bill for treatment: Transactions are deducted from their client's checking/savings account, or from a credit card that has been securely stored in our system. Providers receive session payments via direct deposit.

2. Electronic Statements:
Providers and their clients receive monthly statements via email detailing monthly session activities. Client statements are insurance-ready for easy reimbursement. Providers and clients can also access our website to print statements for any time period they desire.

3. Collections:
This service is offered to providers with outstanding balances in their practice. Even though using Therapy Partner virtually eliminates balances for therapists, we are willing to recover accrued balances prior to your use of our service. Our goal is allow providers to manage all billing procedures in one place.

4. Payment Plan Management:
Therapy Partner offers payment plans to clients who struggle to pay a provider's full rate. To prevent providers from sliding their scale, Therapy Partner will allow a therapist to see a client as needed at their full clinical rate. Providers and their clients agree upon a flat rate that is to be billed to the client every month, while the accrued balance shifts to the next month.

The number of sessions a client is allowed to postpone is completely managed by the provider. Our payment plans allow therapists to generate revenue, even after therapy has terminated with a client enrolled in a payment plan.

5. Client Support:
Therapy Partner provides full support for clients with billing related questions. Our support services allow providers to devote 100% of their clinical time to quality care.