In today's economy, outsourcing medical billing is a question many doctors are asking. However, the real question should be, “Can you afford not to outsource your medical billing in today's economy?” Having worked in a medical office for many years and handled medical billing in that office, I have seen firsthand the lack of attention and dedication placed in the medical billing department. Many times in a busy doctor's office, the task of doing billing may be given to someone who has more time on their hands or has "down time" from their normal duties. If the doctor has an actual billing department with dedicated billing staff, many times they don't work as efficiently as they should because there is no motivation to do so. Not only is this irresponsible on the doctor's part, but it costs his practice thousands of dollars each year due to premature filings and inexperienced staff. Now more than ever, insurance companies are decreasing reimbursements while increasing administrative burdens and costs. Staff must be knowledgeable about billing and coding, as well as have daily access to updates provided by insurance companies on policy changes and reimbursement changes. That's why outsourcing is the answer to a difficult question. Most medical billing companies today bill providers a percentage of the receipts collected, which directly ties the success of the billing company to the success of the medical practice. It creates an immediate incentive to work together towards the same goal, which is maximum reimbursement of submitted expenses. Additionally, accepting credit and debit cards as a form of payment is much more convenient for the patient and much more efficient for the practice. If you have an efficient and knowledgeable billing company, they will provide training to the front desk staff as part of their services so that both the front desk staff and the billing company work as a team in unison to maximize reimbursement for the 'office. Since this is the ultimate goal of any medical practice, the question should be: how can you afford not to rely on a qualified, efficient and knowledgeable billing company?