Billing and claims errors continue to occur with amazing frequency. Eliminating healthcare fraud and abuse has become a top priority for the federal government. As a result of the government's efforts, providers can expect to see increased initiatives, most likely in the form of investigative audits, to prevent, identify and punish healthcare fraud.
Many errors are preventable through better patient records, standards and vocabulary.
The emergence of e-healthcare solutions could reduce errors and the costs of doing business. Practice management systems may become the tool that will finally eliminate the burden of paper claims. Research has shown that submitting insurance bills through an online system rather than a paper system could cut the cost per claim significantly. Implementation of Web based systems will take time, but the potential is enormous. 1999, Rising Tide Studios.