How This Pandemic Situation is Transforming DME & HME Billing

The Home Medical Equipment (HME) and the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) billing industry is experiencing a rapid transformation to put up with increased demand in supply during the novel Covid-19 pandemic scenario.

Let’s figure out the safety precautions that are affecting the HME and DME billing and the ones which are expected to hang around for the near future, from social distancing to high-tech solutions to new challenges.

The technology uses for Social Distancing

Patient and employee wellbeing is the primary concern of HME and DME billing departments. As a result, the industry is following in the footsteps of medical clinics and distance learning opportunities by executing new sophisticated technologies. Like Skype, Google meets, and Zoom permits the teams to connect and get an update regarding work and on the latest Covid-19 protocols.

A surge in claims

Another rapid transformation witnessed by the HME and the DME billing department has been the sudden rise in demand for services and products. As hospitals run out of beds and essential medical equipment, DME suppliers have stepped up to deliver much-desired equipment when asked for. Consequently, billing staff is scrambling to keep up with the increased volume of claims submitted.

Moreover, to avoid running out of rooms, hospitals are relocating patients who are not having extreme symptoms of illness back home. This provides space for patients with more critical conditions. The whole procedure has been a complete success primarily due to the role of the HME and DME providers. They communicated with the insurance carriers and hospitals and carried out all the vital pieces of equipment to the patient’s house in the time of need.

Processing Claims

As there has been certain complexity at the insurance carrier level, claims are taking longer to process. With a sudden increase in claim submissions and a social-distancing shift for people, insurance companies are rushing to review and process an immense number of claims. A lot of companies are currently working to take care of the needs and requirements of the patients. Consequently, HME and DME billing staff will take a longer time for customer service calls regarding queries and payments to post.

Patients who don’t have internet access

Throughout the claim process, a lot of information can be published on the provider's website via patient portals, and it can also be shared with patients through internet-based resources. Nonetheless, a lot of people do not have access to the internet. Therefore, for the sake of the patients' protection, HME and DME billing staff should execute innovative methods of accumulating and transmitting documents.

Traditional mailing is useful when the patient has access to postage and envelopes. But with each trip outside the house, the recovering patient can be exposed to pollutants. Consequently, HME and DME providers are coming with creative and innovative methods. Like going to patients' homes to collect documents and make sure that the critical requirements of the patients have been taken care of.

At the end of the day, the HME and DME billing professionals face unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic. Innovative technology has been combined with a supportive group to put in place safer and additional versatile protocols that have stood up to the task and provided vital support for both the company staff and patients, even their families.