With concerns like mandatory accreditation and competitive bidding pressuring HME providers, Edward Kutt, president of DIABCO - HIPAA Billing Systems LLC, tells Dealer/Provider that investing in billing technology is more important than ever. In this month’s HME Insider, Kutt also discusses the newest computer software systems available and the benefits for HME providers.

Dealer/Provider: How does DIABCO - HIPAA Billing Systems differentiate itself in the marketplace?

Kutt: The HME software market is competitive and it is not enough just to be good. It is necessary to be on the edge of the latest technology, be innovative, and always be dependable. That is how we are different. DIABCO was the first company in the United States to pass the DMERC region HIPAA compliance testing successfully in 2002. In 1995, we wrote the first true Windows-based billing software. Now our newest billing software system, AR-Express, is written in the latest, most powerful, and fast database software language provided by Microsoft. When document scanning became a topic in the industry, we had it available for our customers. Right now, we are proud to be the first company in the United States that offers a stand-alone Medicare eligibility software system: ME-First.

D/P: With mandatory accreditation and competitive bidding pressing the industry, why is now a good time to invest in a billing system?

Kutt: If HME companies would like not only to survive, but to provide good services and make high profits in times when the margins are going down and costs are going up, there is only one way to succeed—efficiency: doing the most high-quality work in the smallest amount of time. No one can reach these goals without the right software tools. These tools have to be jet-fast, powerful, and easy to use. The return on investment is quickly related to the huge benefits good software can provide in office efficiency. Again and again, we hear from providers that they have no time to look at new software products because they are overwhelmed with daily work. The point is to start to think differently: the right software will decrease the workload and give you time to be flexible and creative. Providers need time to breathe, to look back at what they did and what they have to do to make their business successful and strong.

But having efficient office automation tools will help only if you get the billing done right the first time. Having to correct billing and resubmit, review, or appeal a claim, only sends your profits right out the window. Today’s offices need to have a front-end system for eligibility verification. DP