The introduction: the fundamentals of medical billing problem
Medical billing problem is often the most difficult part of a disease. When the employees from the billing department can’t cope with numerous tasks, and many problems appear, there is a need to create a problem-solving team to resolve the issue. First of all, it is necessary to point out that getting employees to act in teams is one of the key factors to succeed. However, the basic skills of the employees are also of primary importance. For this reason, while creating a team for the billing department, the head of the branch is to understand that the employees are to define their goals, identify the difficulties or the barriers, define the root cause of various problems, develop solutions, create workable plans, and perform the plan.
The thesis statement
The head’s main aim is to provide the team with the necessary knowledge or with the fundamentals of operational problems. In other words, the effectiveness and profitability of the billing department depend upon the strategies the team relies on.
The body: the integral parts the team is based on
There are the so-called general rules, which are to be applied to all spheres of human activity, including health care services. So, let’s consider the general points.
The communication strategy the employees of the billing department are to use is an important point, which is to be discussed. Thus, there are ten basic steps the employees are to follow to succeed. As far as the employees should show their benevolence, they are to smile. The use of kind greetings is another important step the team is to keep in mind. The employees are not only to ask the patients/the clients how they are but also to be sincere when asking. It is necessary to ask in what way the employees can help the clients. When the requirements are expressed, the employees should immediately begin on that need. If there is a need to spend more than a few minutes to cope with a task, the clients are to be informed about the reasons for the delay. In this case, the employees should offer the clients some sort of entertainment. The task is to be performed ASAP. Finally, the employees are to thank their clients and bid them goodbye.
The organization of the team as well as its structure is considered to be a specific point. The type of my team is a problem-solving team. In other words, it is a frequently cross-functional team. I want to point out that the type of team is to be created when there is no opportunity to resolve the problems or some contradictions through the ordinary organizational structure. The structure of the team is to be based on the functions approach. It means that there are task functions and interpersonal functions the team is to be based on. Task functions mean the employees are to concentrate on the problems of the billing department they are to resolve; while interpersonal functions mean the employees are to be focused on support and respect towards each other.
I understand quite well that the types of conflict, which may occur in my team, are different. There can be an internal conflict, an individual conflict (one team member disagrees with another member, or one team member disagrees with other members of the team), a conflict between the teams, a conflict of several team members with the rest of the team, or a conflict of the team with a person who is not a member of the team. The team functions I want to rely on to avoid a conflict depend upon the following five-P’s of conflict fundamentals: perceptions (as far as we want to eliminate the causes of negative responses, the negative feelings influence our actions to solve a conflict), problems (the sources needed to solve a problem depending upon the complexity of the contradictions), processes (the use of various ways to resolve a conflict), principles (the priorities of the processes to solve a contradiction), and practices (the reasons the employees want to resolve a conflict).
Finally, I would like to touch on the specific problem-solving steps the employees are to follow to resolve the billing problem. The employees are to save all documentation. They are to keep not only billing statements but also copies of various checks if the clients refer back. The employees are to verify their contact information. They are to register all necessary data, including current phone numbers, etc. The problems are to be addressed promptly. All correspondence is to be copied. It is necessary to be persistent (to call the clients, if there is a need). The employees are to keep the current cards of the clients, as most of the billing problems are related to outdated insurance cards. The employees are to know their benefits. The employees are to keep a record of the check numbers and the date the payment was received. The employees of the billing department are to develop their plan benefits.
The conclusion: how to promote effective teamwork
Communication with every member of the team is one of the key points to promote effective teamwork. It is necessary not only to define the role of every member in the team but also to know more about every member the team includes. If there are some problems, I can’t resolve on my own, I ask for help from my team. This encourages team members to work together. So, there is no need to struggle with a problem alone. I never shut down the employees’ opinions or blame the team for my mistakes.