The Problem with The Yes Man

Make your vendor your solutions partner, not just your “yes man.”

As a healthcare provider you know the joy that’s experienced when you can say yes to a patient. Being able to supply a patient with his or her needs is why you opened your practice. However, there are also times when you must deliver information to your patient that may not be exactly what they want to hear. It is the same principle when executing tasks for your practice outside of the exam room. When asking the vendors you do business with to complete an action, you want the answer to be yes.

“Yes” means we get what we want how we want it, but the problem with working with a “yes man” inside or outside of your practice is yes isn’t always the best answer. Sometimes a “no” is better because it opens the door for solutions that would be better suited for your practice. And who doesn’t like options?

All vendors seek to make a profit; after all, they are in business too. Outsourcing the administrative tasks of your practice frees your time to do what you love and focus on your expertise, but the vendors you outsource to shouldn’t just seek to do business. The best vendors offer solutions.

A solutions partner is an expert in their field that is more than just driven to complete a request, they support by offering:

• First-hand knowledge of trends – They are proactive in networking, researching and have valuable industry data.
• Professional implementation of projects – They are equipped with the methods, insight and training to successfully achieve project goals and customize their services to meet their client’s needs.
• The ability to achieve specific project goals – They are big-picture thinkers that can create strategies that benefit their clients.
• Provides additional resources to solve tasks – They lead you to your end-goal while having the foresight to spot potential issues and creating fixes to overcome any challenges along the way.

When receiving a task to complete, a solution partner comes to the table with questions – not just the simple questions like “when is the deadline,” they also ask probing questions you may not have thought to ask yourself. The right question can open different avenues that can lead to beneficial, cost-effective results for your practice.

One of the administrative tasks that is commonly outsourced in a healthcare practice is billing and claims. This tedious, but necessary task is cumbersome and time consuming. Over 40% of claims receive less than the full reimbursement and 18% of claims never get paid. A practice owner’s expertise is hearing health, not medical claims. When outsourcing your billing and claims, make sure you partner with a solutions provider that offers these benefits:

• An efficient and experienced claims management support staff
• Services that align with your budget
• Expert claims preparation (pre-authorization and verification)
• Rapid claims submission
• An increase on reconciled claims with more revenue returned to you
• Time saved for you and your employees

Although you are a practice owner, you are also a customer working with myriad vendors to assist you in servicing your patients. Why would you need a vendor who tries to be all things to all clients? When saying yes to outsourcing various aspects of your practice, align with a vendor that will commit to supporting your practice at every turn, create opportunities and have the know-how to exceed your expectations.