(2 min read) Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) do an exceptional job of collecting patient deductibles, co-pays, and other patient responsibilities due prior to performing procedures. However, their highly manual processes and staffing shortages have ASCs running especially lean.

In addition to ongoing staff shortages, ASCs continue to serve as critical back-up for the COVID-strained hospital system. Staffing frustrations occur when managers and administrators split their time between their primary duties and front-office patient registration activities, such as insurance verification and prior authorization calls to payers, it can take front-office ASC staff four phone calls on average to reach patients and to gather all the required registration data, including insurance policy information.

Accounts receivable (AR) optimization technology can provide real relief to these overburdened, frustrated staff members. Automated solutions for insurance verification and insurance discovery can reduce staff’s administrative burden by up to 30 percent. With the right technology, a staff member can digitally review status of an active claim as well as see when payment is anticipated. There are also automation solutions for prior authorization that streamline previously tedious, manual processes and give ASC staff the bandwidth to focus on the higher-value responsibilities.

Myndshft, a prior authorization automation solution provider reports that, “Depending on the complexity of the prior authorization request, the level of manual work involved, and the requirements stipulated by the payer, a prior authorization can take anywhere from one day to a month to process manually.” The delays and additional burdens caused by manual processes create problems for both patients and providers downstream. These can be avoided with a few best practices.

To learn more best practices for reducing front-end staff burnout and optimize AR, read Short-staffed ASCs Can Ease the Burden of Prior Authorization and Do More With Less in Becker’s ASC Review.