4 Tips to Reduce Common Claims Handling Mistakes
Botched claims handling can be a serious concern for health care companies, impeding productivity, increasing expenses and tarnishing their reputation. In a November 2011 article on Property Casualty 360° entitled, “Avoiding Property-Adjusting Blunders,” John A. Postava offered some tips on reducing common claims handling mistakes.
Tip 1: Develop Routines
When you follow a routine, you do the same thing in the same order every single time, which is a great way to steer clear of claims handling mistakes such as missing certain steps in the process. It is so easy to get distracted, especially if work volume increases exponentially. Create a departmental checklist or other type of project workflow chart to help the claims team stick to an exacting routine to better maintain accuracy and efficiency.
Tip 2: Be Prepared
Ensuring the claims team is expert on all things related to the process will also ensure more accurate claims handling. When well trained, staffers will be able to identify any issues or details that present before they become major problems. Whether software or manual processes are used, the staff should know the procedures and related tools inside and out. This is where extra training becomes invaluable.
Tip 3: Set Limits
It is easy to get overwhelmed when you take on too much work and over-commit. It is important to pace work and leave room for breaks that help the mind and body re-energize. Being too tired due to too high of a work volume nearly assures that mistakes will be made. Be realistic about workload and what can be done accurately by putting limits in place.
Tip 4: Hone Professional Skills and Personal Virtues
Developing habits is an excellent way to avoid making mistakes while enhancing the company’s reputation as one that provides honest and high quality claims handling. Here is the list of habits the article suggests:
- Communication – Practice your people skills and constantly strive for cordial, patient and professional communication.
- Time Management – Maximize profits and eliminate stress with efficient time management.
- Computer Proficiency – Become proficient in general computer usage.
- Integrity – Be diligent in practicing ethics.
- Knowledge and Application – Be familiar with policies and use good judgment when applying this knowledge.
- Innovation – Consistently think outside the box to meet new challenges.
- Accessibility and Flexibility – Be ready and willing to work when necessary.
- Life-Long Learning – Engage in continued education and training.
In light of these tips that require knowledge, training, work balance, and professional skills, sometimes it pays to consider an outsource provider to help you forego training costs and other such claims management concerns. Offloading claims procedures to a specialized service provider will free company resources that can be re-allocated to other key facets of the core business.
In Review
Here are the main points from this blog post:
- Claims handling requires accuracy, preciseness, and efficiency in order to avoid costly mistakes that waste time and money and put a blemish on your reputation.
- Four key tips are develop routines, be prepared, set limits and hone professional skills and virtues.
- It pays to consider an outsource partner that can expertly, efficiently, and cost-effectively take the claims handling process away so you can focus on your core business and customer service.
Fig Gungor is CEO of OneSource Document Management, a New York based company that offers a broad range of customized copy and scanning services that translate into a significant savings for insurance companies, hospitals and large medical facilities.