For a 6% to 9% cut of a
practice's net collections, SCM reviews and
streamlines front office procedures, trains and
hires staff and credentials doctors with insurance
companies, among other services.
"We
typically come out 20 to 40 percent cheaper" than regular staff, he
said, adding that a practices' savings increase when employee benefits
are considered.
Many practices that call on SCM at first are behind in collecting
payments from patients, although all fingers don't point there, Janet
Gitersonke said. It comes down to poor business management in most
cases, she contends.
"A majority of it is lack of training. It's not that their (employees)
bad people," she said. "We do have some good payers in this city."
Las Vegas-based Innovative Pain Care Center was one such business that
has seen its finances improve since hiring SCM. Two years ago, the
practice had no intention of hiring a third party to handle its billing,
because it was "afraid of losing control of their finances," Christian
Gitersonke said. Within 90 days of handing over the reins, it was on its
way to doubling its revenue, he said.
McKenna Pain Specialists is another success story. SMC consulted with
the practice and added a new, electronic billing system and a business
manager named Eileen Rinaldi.
Rinaldi said before her tenure, payments took as long as 120 days to
recoup, nearly twice its current turnaround time. With a system that
offers easier access to records and claims, she said reimbursements are
made within a 30 to 45 day span and have increased the company's
cashflow greatly. Christian Gitersonke also saw the practice through the
construction of its new 10,000 square foot facility at Russel Road and
Interstate 215, which took two years to complete.
The Gitersonkes aren't just looking out for doctors, either. They said
they consider themselves patient advocates, of a sort.
When billing offices don't properly collect reimbursements from
insurance companies, patients pay more than they are required for
procedures and office visits, he said.
Fortunately, Christian Gitersonke said, he was there for his father,
Don, who was billed more then $100,000 for a triple bypass surgery he
underwent. It turns out, he said, the bill should have come to about
$2,000.
"If they (patients) send in a check,
nobody is not going to cash it,"
Janet said. During her time in the medical field, she has noticed a
complacency among office staff that fosters this burden. And the sad
part is nobody cared, they still got a paycheck at the end of the week."
Since the Gitersonkes took over, business has quadrupled and is expected
to grow three-fold by the end of this year, Chris Gitersonke said.
Strategic Collection Management recently increased its staff by
one-third and is on track to do about $500,000 in revenue this year, he
said.
