I updated the links on this 5/12/07, because of Tom Cloyd’s helpful comments about incorrect and correct links. Thanks, Tom!

Today, I talked to a nice young man, Brandon, at Office Ally. Over the phone, he directed me through many windows of the Office Ally online billing program. After he hung up, I created and sent my first online bill, in about 6 minutes. Next time, it will be faster, since I’ll be able to use the last one as a template, and fill in only the dates of service and CPT codes for this client.

For 26 years I’ve had clients fill out HCVA forms, in dark ink. I’ve copied the master one, and each month, filled in the dates and fees, signed them, printed envelopes, stamped them and sent them off. Whenever I looked at billing software, I was scared away by the price ($800+) and the learning curve. Office Ally is underwritten by insurance companies it bills for. It is absolutely free. So is the technical support. So is the storage, for 10 years, of every bill you send. So is the ability to track the bill and the client. All 8 companies that I bill, can be billed through Office Ally. It has hundreds of payors. If you send a bill to someone it doesn’t know (a client’s mother, for instance) it costs 25 cents. Cheaper than a stamp.  It was easy. From here on, I’m billing this way.

To get to Office Ally, try this link: http://www.onehealthport.com/services/administrative_ally.php You get a user name, a number, and then they send you to Office Ally. It takes a few days for it all to work. Then you talk to Brandon, or someone like him. Then you start billing online.

It’s helpful, but not necessary, to already have your National Provider Identifier number, in a year or so, every health care provider is supposed to have one to put on their bills and literature. You can apply for your NPI at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/

Happy New Era!