Another Optometric Billing NO-NO!

"A New Whiteland optometrist could retire any time he wanted, but he keeps going because he likes the work and the patients, some of whom he has treated for decades. Joseph Claudy began his practice after graduating from Indiana University School of Optometry in 1968. He began his career working from the New Whiteland home he still shares with his wife, Mary Jo, before moving to the current office a short distance away on U.S. 31.

Claudy, 75, works nearly full time. Patty Towles has worked for him for 23 years, scheduling appointments, billing patients and helping repair glasses.  (entire article)"

I want to congratulate Dr. Claudy for finding and doing something he loves, it is a rare thing to be able to do that these days, it seems. However, I want to rebuke him for what he has put poor Patty Towles through for 23 years. Dr. Claudy has given a perfect example of the BIGGEST mistake I find being made in optometrist's office day and day out; USING ONE STAFF MEMBER TO DO TOO MANY THINGS.

When we go to Walmart and ONE cashier is ringing out customers don't we get agitated when no one is sent in to open another line and help relieve the traffic at the check out? WE ALL GET AGITATED AT THIS, so doesn't it stand to reason that when we run our practices shouldn't we provide the best customer service possible by not assigning one staff member too much work?

I understand that alot of times this decision is driven by economics. However, it is a proven fact that medical practices whose billing departments are made up of regular office staff routinely post lower collection amounts from insurance than their out sourced counterparts. So, with this in mind, doesn't it make more financial sense as a BUSINESS OWNER (notice the emphasis on business ower) to pay a few extra dollars in the short term to hire someone that specializes in insurance and patient billing than to loose more money in the long run relying on "Patty Towles" to do it all by herself for 23 years?

CALL opticXpress TODAY. WE WILL BILL INSURANCE AND PATIENTS FOR YOU SO PATTY TOWLES NO LONGER HAS TOO!

RELATED POSTS:

Optometric Billing-The REAL Way To Simplify Insurance Billing

Optometric Billing-Programs Provide the Tools Needed for Practices to Significantly Increase Their Reimbursements.

Optometric Billing-Why Good Billing Can Alleviate Your Fears

Optometric Billing NoNo

This post is not necessarily about optometric billing! But like all of you I am a business owner and I can tell you one thing NOT TO DO IN YOUR PRACTICE IF YOU CAN AVOID IT: DON'T USE COMCAST SERVICES FOR YOUR PHONE OR INTERNET.

To date, we have been in our new office for two months and received 3 bills from Comcast (inexplicably as we transferred service from our prior location and had already paid a month in advance ) and in that time WE HAVE PAID FOR PHONE BUT HAVE HAD TO USE CRAPY MAGICJACK AS WE STILL HAVE NO PHONE SERVICE.

Every time we call for support we have to speak to THE CANCELATION department to get anything done as thier other CS departments are in various other countries and the language barrier is insane!

Long story short: PROVIDE THE BEST CUSTOMER CARE AROUND BY NOT USING COMCAST IF YOU CAN AVOID IT. YOUR PATIENTS AND STAFF AS WELL AS YOUR WALLET WILL THANK YOU !