Chatbots, emails and other automated methods of customer interaction are a great way for businesses to control costs and keep their operations efficient – until you’re on the other end of the communication. Then you might come to appreciate the value of being able to pick up the phone and talk to a live human being.
That’s certainly true when EMS and ambulance organizations encounter problems with their cash flow. Keeping that revenue coming in is essential to their operations (and thus community safety), so delays can be trouble, but – whether you’re trying to contact your biller or just have questions about your software – getting an actual person on the line seems a bigger hurdle every day.
“When our sales folks talk to prospects, what they hear about a lot of these other software and billing companies is, ‘We can’t get them on the phone’ and ‘The only way to reach them is through chat,’” said Michelle Corey, vice president of operations at AIM EMS Software & Services, a prominent provider of both billing services and software for billing and other purposes for EMS and ambulance service clients. “They hear complaints really centered around customer support and access.”
For AIM, remaining accessible and supportive for customers has become a point of distinction. While its combination of software and services makes it a unique player in the EMS billing world, its roughly 50 employees are also intently focused on the value of customer service.
“We still return calls quickly,” said Corey. “A lot of competitors don’t even pick up the phone anymore – they just rely on email and chat. Our CEO is committed to that personal touch. We support a vital industry that doesn’t really get the broader support it needs anyway, so for us it’s more of a purpose than a job. We’re going to give them the best customer service we can.”
Whether you’re just looking for software or need someone to take on all your billing operations, you’ll see that in numerous ways.
WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT YOURSELF
Many organizations prefer to conduct their own billing. AIM can provide effective software for that, and the relationship is more than simply a transaction that ends with a sale.
Installation can happen in days; then AIM helps train users’ personnel in the nuances of operations. Purpose-built and highly configurable, its billing software automates and simplifies workflows, resulting in faster and more accurate operations, with features such as prepopulated fields, automatic data validation and error-checking, task routing and more. This can reduce claim-submission times by up to half and help deliver claims free of errors that can result in rejections. Insurance validation is expedited with a simple one-click check of eligibility.
The software includes comprehensive lists of codes, descriptions and procedures and customizable hospital lists with automatic import of allowable charges. Step-by-step workflows ensure nothing is missed. Alerts can be tailored by user, payer or patient. It’s compliant with HIPAA and other federal and state regulations and integrates with other existing software. Keeping data in the cloud frees users from its maintenance and updating, and its easy availability means staff can access it and work anytime, anywhere.
AIM also offers compatible dispatch and ePCR software for EMS organizations. The first helps organizations handle their own dispatching without high-budget hardware requirements and maintenance issues. The second streamlines data entry and facilitates reports by guiding crews through fields configurable by incident type. It permits custom narrative templates that are especially useful in nonemergency transports, and automated error-checking and QI routing help support quality care.
The three AIM platforms can be joined in whole or part for full-suite function that spares agencies the headaches of integrating among multiple vendors and communicating across them if there’s a problem. The company provides all software patches, backups and upgrades.
STAFFING STRUGGLES DRIVE OUTSOURCING
Finding sufficient workforce can be a challenge these days, and if there aren’t enough EMTs and paramedics, you may also have trouble finding back-office personnel such as billers. That’s likely a big reason AIM has seen significant growth on its billing services side.
“I think it has a lot to do with where the economy is these days,” said Corey. “People are really struggling to find in-house billing employees. They’re struggling with general staffing – EMTs, paramedics, the whole nine yards. So with that challenge they’re outsourcing their billing.”
AIM offers such organizations a turnkey solution optimized for rapid revenue recovery. The company’s billers are certified by the National Academy of Ambulance Compliance (NAAC) and experienced in the intricacies of billing for EMS. AIM can also deliver training for clients to help their dispatchers and crews understand how documentation shapes reimbursement and complete full, accurate patient care reports that pass payers’ muster.
Letting the pros do it comes with some benefits: They can verify coverages rapidly and scrutinize claims closely for accuracy. They understand coding and can get set up and bill quickly, getting cash back faster as well. And with familiarity and relationships with major payers, they can provide a painless process leaders of EMS organizations scarcely need to think about while they focus on their core mission of running calls. They’re also well versed in HIPAA and other regulations that can trip up inexperienced billers.
AIM provides full visibility into accounts and invoices, plus a customizable range of reports to keep billing customers up to speed on every aspect of their financial operations. And if help is needed for any reason, it’s attainable without an impersonal electronic gatekeeper.
“People try to reach their biller and may be directed to 10 different places: ‘Oh, that’s a Medicare question, you have to talk to so-and-so,’ or ‘Oh, I don’t know about your reports; you need to contact this person,’” noted Corey. “We provide a team of people here to support you, but with only one or two people to contact. It doesn’t depend on what type of issue it is; they’ll be available to address your issues the best way you want to do it – fax, phone, chat or whatever it might be.”
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
A measure of customer satisfaction, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) evaluates buyers’ loyalty by asking whether they would recommend businesses to their friends and colleagues. A roundup of top brands’ NPS scores two years ago found Starbucks at 77, Airbnb at 74 and Netflix at 68. AIM’s NPS score is a sparkly 83. Among users of its software, 86% say they’d rate its support and EMS knowledge at 9 or better on a scale of 10, and of its billing service customers, 87% say they’re extremely satisfied.
Whichever route a service prefers, their experience with AIM will begin with an in-depth review of their individual operations and pain points. They will be counseled on options and ultimately receive a solution tailored to their workflows. AIM assists throughout any implementation or transition process – and throughout any changeover if a service ever needs to switch course.
“A lot of times when a service comes to us, they’ll say, ‘I need this much cash to keep my doors open,’” Corey said. “A lot of them are looking at that: ‘How can I stay afloat? How can I work in the black instead of the red?’ We spend a lot of time in the beginning understanding their goals and making sure everyone’s expectations are aligned.”
Moving fast can be essential: By the time many services seek professional billing help, they can be in dire financial straits. AIM shepherds them through a complete process of applications and registrations or can potentially get new software installations done in just a few days. Any needed training is delivered at the client’s convenience.
“We have folks who have gone through eight to 10 hours of training on the software and after a few days are able to use the system,” Corey said. “We try to make it as user-friendly and as efficient as possible so that they can hit the ground running.”
And if you just don’t know which method might be better? Maybe talk it over with someone fluent in both languages.
“That we are both a billing service and a software provider is our biggest differentiator,” Corey added. “You want to try to do it yourself? Let’s set you up and get you trained. We have our own set of in-house billers, and our software trainer knows how to bill. So not only are you getting somebody to train you on the software, but they can help you get an understanding of some of the billing processes that you couldn’t get from another software vendor.”
For more information, visit AIM EMS Software & Services.
