When you receive treatment, try to make sure you have any required medical identification cards on you. This allows your medical provider to quickly determine whether you’ll be covered. Doing so will also reduce the chance of basic errors, such as your name being incorrectly spelled upon entry of data. If there are any questions, all contact information for your insurance agency and carrier should also be with you.

Billing Policies

Familiarize yourself with your medical services provider’s billing methods. This will significantly reduce confusion. Be aware of whether they submit claims electronically and how long processing is expected to typically take. You may end up seeing paperwork for a bill that eventually winds up being covered by your medical insurance carrier, and it will be good to know in advance whether this is part of the normal process.

Itemize Receipts

Make a point of collecting receipts for all treatments you receive. Ask your doctor’s office to supply itemized documentation of what was billed at the end of each visit. This may prove to be an invaluable resource down the road if an error does occur or a claim is denied. By referring back to the itemized receipts, you may be able to determine where an issue occurred and speed up the process of rectifying the situation.

File and Track Electronically

Anytime you have the opportunity to enter or follow information yourself by using an electronic system, do so. The medical billing industry sees a lot of traffic. Despite people making their best effort, errors can occur. It’s always worth your time to take a moment and see that all of your information is correct. If something critical, such as your address, has changed recently, make sure that information is up to date.

Ask Questions

When in doubt, never be afraid to ask a question. The process of dealing with insurance providers can seem somewhat obtuse. It’s better to feel awkward communicating a concern than to end up feeling worse when confronted with a major problem later.

If you follow these five tips, the process of filing a health insurance claim should be easier to handle.

If you could use more help, we here at Della Porta Group in Jacksonville, FL, are always ready to help.