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Frequent Health Plan Auditing Shines

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TFG Partners

It makes financial sense for large corporate or nonprofit employers to self-fund their benefit plans. But with it comes responsibility and the need to outsource claim administration. As a result, healthcare auditing companies have an essential role in providing oversight. When one company is paying another company's bills with an open checkbook, double-checking its accuracy is paramount. Today's claim processing error rates are historically low for more processors, but it's still worth reviewing the payments for errors. It also meets regulatory and compliance requirements and serves members well.


Implementation audits after three months also belong on your calendar if you're in-house for a plan sponsor with management responsibilities. Checking claim payments after 90 days with an auditor's watchful eye always pays off. If you hear things are running smoothly and error-free, you've met your responsibilities, and if not, you can go to work on the problem areas. It works well when your claim administrator knows you're watching and will follow up about errors. It's also possible that you'll find some patterns that call for a system fix to prevent similar mistakes in the future – even sophisticated systems can miss things.


When you set your budget for the year and add an audit, you can count on it increasing your bottom line and not subtracting from it. Claim auditors flag overpayments you can recover. With pharmacy plans, they can help you claim missed discounts and rebates. All are in the auditor's tool kit and are routinely part of their work. Because most claim administrators are large health plans with extensive systems and provider networks, it's easy for them to do things "their way" instead of according to your plan's provisions. An audit will help you identify those areas and request adjustments per your plan.


If you've set aggressive cost containment goals and want to track year-to-year progress, having the same auditor check your claims gives you a highly accurate comparison. Medical billing is complex, with thousands of claims every week, if not daily. Even highly advanced processing systems known for remarkable levels of accuracy can let some things slip. Given the high cost of medical services and medicines, little things add to significant expenses quickly. You'll be on track when you can untangle the errors and have them corrected soon after they occur. Well-managed plans benefit everyone involved.


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