Working Together Is Key for Timely Filing
Question: When it comes to high-dollar claims, do you differentiate between timely filing and timely following up? In our practice, getting the claim out the door is the coder’s job, and that is considered timely filing; but then we have another group that has to follow up when the claim comes back in the door needing more information. Would you categorize them as one and the same? HEALTHCON 2025 Attendee Answer: “Remember in a high-dollar workflow, it’s the team’s responsibility to work together. It’s not just the coder’s responsibility. It needs to be everyone on board for these services and making sure the follow-up is completed,” said Catherine Keegan, BSBM, CPC, CPCD, CCSP, RCMS, during her HEALTHCON 2025 presentation “Implementing & Mastering High Dollar Workflows to Improve Your Bottom Line.” Also consider keeping a spreadsheet for claim tracking to prevent missed deadlines for timely filing. Regular weekly checks on your claim submissions can help you monitor claim progress and ensure timely payment. If there’s a delay, you’ll have ample time to contact the payer to identify the problem. Claim management software is another effective tool for keeping track of your claim submissions. It’s useful to have a system, whether it’s a spreadsheet or a software program, to record when your claims were submitted. This can be particularly helpful if you need to appeal a denial due to timely filing. Having evidence that the claim was submitted to the payer within the stipulated timeframe validates your adherence to the contract, even if the payer didn’t receive it for some reason. Lindsey Bush, BA, MA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC
