How to catch lost charges

Q. How can we make sure we capture all the services performed during appointments?

"At our hospital, each doctor is assigned a technician who's responsible for invoicing any treatments the doctor performs," says Nancy Potter, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and practice manager at Olathe Animal Hospital in Olathe, Kan. "And team members who perform any services, such as a nail trim, are responsible for invoicing those treatments."

Nancy Potter

If your practice uses a software program for invoicing, create estimates or treatment groups for common procedures, such as reproductive surgeries. Then invoice from those treatment groups, Potter says.

Next, decide who completes the invoicing based on the number of available computer workstations. For inpatient visits, the technician or receptionist may enter services rendered. Receptionists may enter outpatient services from a traveling treatment form. But if you can help it, avoid leaving receptionists to complete invoices when clients check out, since clients are often in a hurry, which increases the likelihood of missed charges. If your practice uses the SOAP format for patients' records, also verify the invoice against the medical record. "A good question to ask yourself is, 'What did we do for this patient today?' Then invoice in the order your team performed the services," Potter says.