Jun 30, 2022

Staffing Shortages Can Challenge Your Treatment Center Billing

A stressed out woman sits defeated at her desk with her head resting on her open laptop with a bookcase filled with notebooks behind her

2022 has been a challenging year for employers in virtually every sector of the labor market. In 2021 saw what some are calling the Great Resignation, in which more than 47 million Americans quit their jobs. This labor shortage can affect your treatment center billing operations too. Of course, that has an effect on the program as a whole.

What is the Great Resignation?

Why did 47 million people leave their jobs? Many of those who quit jobs did so in search of improved work-life balance and flexibility, increased compensation, and strong company culture. On the surface, it simply looks like there is just a group holding out for a better deal. As it turns out, it’s more than just that factor. In December 2021, there were 58 unemployed workers for every 100 job openings. Fortunately, the health services field, including behavioral health, has one of the lower rates of unfilled openings. Still, there is an effect that we need to watch.

How Do We Stay Staffed?

Many employers have responded by offering signing bonuses, higher salaries or the option to work remotely. Retention of current employees is also a focus for many employers. This could be offering more employee training and development opportunities or by restructuring job duties to allow workers to have a better work-life balance. This is where Nextus Billing Solutions can start helping your program.

How Can Nextus Help?

Nextus can help behavioral health programs that have staffing shortages as well as ones that do not have shortages. 

For those programs with staffing shortages, we can take responsibility for managing your revenue cycle from beginning to end. This means that we can take care of verification of benefits, claim submissions, re-submissions, charting, and records requests from insurance companies. We can remove the need for your staff to spend time processing claims, trying to collect payments from insurance companies or patients, or negotiating reimbursement rates. On top of that, our utilization review process helps your program maximize efficiency and maximize the benefits for your clients. That provides you with more comprehensive services while freeing you from the burden of trying to find staff to do all these functions.

Perhaps your program is not experiencing a staffing shortage. That’s great, but Nextus can still help. If we are being honest, few of your staff love doing billing, collections or filling out insurance forms. Imagine being able to tell your valued staff that the least favorite part of their job is no longer their concern. Now they can focus on what you need them to do most: Build great relationships with your clients and help them get the healing that they need. Wouldn’t that be a great retention tool?

If you are ready to discuss how Nextus Billing Solutions can help your treatment center billing operations be more effective by freeing up time and energy from billing matters, contact us for a consultation. We would love to tell you more.