Is your healthcare practice losing revenue due to unbilled procedures? From routine office visits to complex treatments, insurance companies require a record of every service provided to approve reimbursements. This is where charge capture plays a crucial role—it safeguards your revenue, minimizes losses, and ensures proper financial management.
With rising healthcare costs, tighter budgets, and increased payer scrutiny, poor billing practices can be financially damaging. Studies show that practices lose an average of 1% of their revenue due to charge capture errors. But MedRev is here to help! Let’s break down how charge capture works and the best practices to optimize this process.
What is Charge Capture in Medical Billing?
Want to get paid for every service you provide? Charge capture ensures all billable services—from medications and lab tests to surgeries and consultations—are accurately recorded for reimbursement.
Beyond financial stability, charge capture also plays a vital role in compliance, transparency, and efficiency. In short, it’s the backbone of your revenue cycle.
How Does Charge Capture Work?
To improve charge capture, understanding the process is key. Here’s how it works in four essential steps:
Patient Interaction
The process starts the moment a patient interacts with a provider. Every service, consultation, and procedure—whether in person, via telemedicine, or even an email response—should be recorded and billed accordingly.
Documenting Services Provided
Healthcare providers log every procedure, test, and treatment in the EHR system, including:
Lab Tests & Imaging
Surgeries & In-Office Procedures
Telemedicine Consultations
For evaluation & management (E/M) services, document exam details, visit duration, and diagnoses to ensure proper billing.
Assigning the Right Codes
Medical coders apply standardized codes (ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS) to services, ensuring accuracy and speeding up approvals.
Reviewing & Validating Charges
Billing teams verify the documentation and codes, checking for errors or missing details. Once validated, charges move to charge entry, where they’re officially entered into the system for claims processing.
Charge Capture vs. Charge Entry:
While often confused, they are not the same:
Charge Capture – Recording and tracking billable services.
Charge Entry – Inputting those captured charges into billing software for reimbursement.
Best Practices for Charge Capture
Even the best healthcare providers struggle with charge capture errors due to lack of standardization, staffing shortages, and outdated processes. Here’s how to streamline your charge capture process:
Use Advanced Technology
Integrate your EHR system into charge capture workflows.
Avoid handwritten notes—errors & lost records can cost you revenue.
Use charge capture software to document services directly from your smartphone or tablet.
Standardize Documentation
Implement consistent documentation formats across your organization.
Train all departments to accurately record every service & procedure.
Conduct Regular Audits
Find hidden revenue leaks by auditing your charge capture process.
Identify issues like duplicate entries, missing information, or outdated codes.
Educate Your Team
Train physicians & clinical staff on proper documentation.
Ensure they understand payer-specific billing guidelines to prevent denials.
Simplify Charge Capture with MedRev
Struggling to record and enter every charge? MedRev has you covered!
We understand that high patient volumes, staff shortages, and emergencies can make it difficult to capture every service accurately. Instead of relying on memory, let our experts handle your charge capture process.
Accurate & Timely Charge Entry
Error-Free Claim Submission
Improved Reimbursement Rates
Maximize your revenue & minimize claim denials with MedRev’s charge capture solutions!
Get in touch today!