Changing Healthcare with Virtual Medical Assistant in Your Office

Physicians increasingly rely on virtual administrative medical assistants (VAMAs) to help with clerical and administrative tasks. Virtual administrative medical assistants can help physicians by handling some of the more time-consuming and monotonous tasks, such as prior authorization and insurance verification. This allows doctors to focus more on providing care, especially for new patients.

In addition, virtual administrative medical assistants can help to reduce the amount of paperwork that doctors are required to submit. Insurance companies and other regulatory bodies require this documentation, which can be time-consuming and overwhelming for physicians. On top of this, appeals may also have to be submitted in case of denials, which is a cumbersome job for medical practitioners and their staff.

Virtual administrative medical assistants can take on this burden, allowing doctors to spend more time with their clients. By outsourcing these tasks, physicians can ensure that people receive the best care. This also prevents physician burnout and unnecessary stress, resulting in a more productive workplace.

What is a virtual administrative medical assistant (VAMA)?

A VAMA is a professional who supports physicians and other medical professionals by handling clerical and office work. This can include prior authorization, insurance verification, and more.

The training to become a virtual medical assistant covers many comprehensive topics. It is designed to impart to students the required abilities for success in this field. Some of the covered topics include:

– Prior authorization

– Insurance verification

– Medical terminology

– HIPAA compliance

Training for VAMAs is offered online and can be concluded in as little as four months. It is important to note that VAMAs must be authorized in the state where they work. To obtain a license, virtual administrative medical assistants must pass an exam by the National Healthcare Association (NHA).

The training to become a virtual medical assistant is an excellent substitute for people who wish to enter the medical industry. It provides students with the abilities required for success in this field. In addition, virtual administrative medical assistants must be licensed in the state where they work; familiarity with your state’s licensing requirements is crucial.

What services do VAMAs provide?

VMAs provide various services to help physicians and other healthcare professionals streamline their workflow. VAMAs offer some services, including prior authorization, insurance verification, and more. By outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant, physicians can dedicate their attention to providing care to more people.

There are several ways that a Medical Assistant can support and help manage your office, including: 

Prior Authorization

Prior authorization is a process that requires physicians to obtain approval from an insurance company before they can provide a particular service or for specific prescription refills. This process can be time-consuming and overwhelming for physicians and their medical staff. A virtual assistant can help you obtain prior authorization for services quickly and efficiently, saving you time and hassle in the long run.

Prior authorization is necessary because insurance companies must ensure that services are medically necessary before reimbursing. This helps to ensure healthcare money is used wisely and only for necessary procedures. Unfortunately, the process often takes too long, reducing patient adherence to the treatment plan.

By delegating this task to a virtual assistant, you can ensure proper and complete prior authorization request forms are submitted. VAMAs can monitor the progress of these requests for a fraction of the cost required to hire a full-time employee. They save you money and give your patients less wait time for prompt treatment.

Insurance Verification

One of the essential tasks that virtual medical assistant services provide is insurance verification. This involves verifying patient information and ensuring coverage for a particular service. This is a critical part of any patient’s visit, as it ensures they receive the treatment they need without being subjected to unexpected costs or delays.

A virtual assistant can verify insurance coverage for services and procedures, ensuring you are not left holding the bill. Statistics show that failure to verify insurance coverage often leads to significant repercussions in the practitioner’s revenue cycle. This can help reduce the administrative burden on physicians and their staff while ensuring they are compensated for services rendered. 

Insurance verification can also help to prevent denied claims. When a claim is denied, it can be costly for both the client and the provider. A virtual medical assistant can help prevent claim denials by verifying insurance coverage and saving the client and the healthcare provider money.

Contact us today if you want a virtual assistant to manage insurance verification. Portiva has a team of experienced virtual medical assistants ready to help you get the coverage your old and new patients deserve.

Appointment Scheduling

Appointment scheduling is an essential part of any healthcare sector. By efficiently scheduling appointments, virtual medical assistants can help to increase your practice’s revenue. A virtual assistant can handle all your appointment scheduling and follow-ups to save you and your staff time. 

When people can book an appointment quickly, they are likelier to keep those bookings. This helps to reduce the number of no-shows, which can be costly for a practice. In addition, having a well-run appointment schedule allows you to see more people on a given day. 

A healthcare virtual assistant allows you to dedicate your attention to providing care to your patients rather than managing your schedule. Additionally, VAMAs have the experience and expertise to create schedules optimized for patient care. Whether you need help setting up a routine appointment or coordinating a complex procedure, a virtual medical receptionist can ensure your schedule is always current.

They can also coordinate complex procedures and appointments, such as those involving multiple specialists or different locations. If you are looking for help with appointment scheduling, contact us today. Our team of virtual medical assistants can help you create a schedule optimized for the patient’s convenience and increased revenue.

Billing and coding

The accuracy of billing and coding is critical to the financial stability of healthcare providers. When bills are not coded correctly, it can lead to lost revenue for the practice. In addition, incorrect coding can also lead to claim denials. This can be costly for both the client and the provider.

VAMAs are experts in billing and coding. They can ensure that your bills are coded accurately, reducing the chances of lost revenue and claim denials. By outsourcing your billing and coding to a virtual assistant, you can focus on providing quality care to people.

In addition, VAMAs can assist you in staying current with the newest billing and coding regulations changes. This can help to reduce the chances of being fined by Medicare or other insurance providers. An experienced virtual assistant on your team can support your practice to maintain a healthy financial outlook.

Patient communication

Communication is essential for any practice. By communicating effectively with people, virtual assistants can help ensure they have a positive experience at your practice. In addition, effective communication can help to improve outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.

They can help you communicate effectively with your patients, ensuring they have a positive experience at your practices. In addition, by communicating effectively with people, you can help to improve their outcomes and satisfaction. They can help you keep in touch with your patients between appointments, and they can also relay important information from the doctor’s office.

VAMAs can also help you to keep track of patient charts. This can help you identify potential problems early on and prevent them from becoming more significant. By having a virtual medical assistant on your team, you can ensure that all of your patient information is handled efficiently and effectively.

Medical scribing

Medical scribing is recording a physician’s notes during a patient visit. This critical task is ensuring that the doctor has a complete visit record. Medical scribes are trained professionals with the knowledge and experience to record the doctor’s notes accurately.

One of the benefits of using a medical scribe is that it helps to prevent physician burnout. Physicians can become overwhelmed with all the tasks they have to manage, and medical scribing can help lighten their load. In addition, medical scribes can help to improve client care. By having a record of the visit, physicians can more easily identify any potential problems or concerns.

Medical scribes are essential to the medical team and are critical in ensuring the doctor has a complete visit record. They are trained professionals with the knowledge and experience necessary to accurately record the doctor’s notes. Portiva’s medical scribes ensure quality documentation for an affordable price that meets your budget.

Medical transcription

Medical transcription is converting audio recordings of patient visits into text. This information is then used to create medical records and bills. The medical transcription can be difficult and time-consuming, so many healthcare professionals outsource this work to virtual assistants.

VAMAs are skilled professionals who are trained in handling clerical and office work. Physicians can focus on providing patient care by outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant. VAMAs can help with prior authorization, insurance verification, and more. This allows physicians to spend valuable time with their patients and less on clinic documentation.

The importance of virtual medical assistants in medical transcription cannot be overstated. VAMAs ensure that patient consultations are converted into text quickly and accurately. They help ensure physicians have the time to provide quality care and foster a positive patient experience.

What are the benefits of using a VA?

There are several benefits to using a virtual medical assistant. Some of the benefits include: 

Increased efficiency

Physicians can spend their time and energy caring for their patients by outsourcing clerical work to a virtual medical assistant. This can lead to increased efficiency and improved patient outcomes.

Greater flexibility

VAMAs work remotely, which means they can be accessed anytime. This gives physicians greater flexibility in their schedules, making managing appointments and other tasks easier.

Improved communication 

VAMAs are skilled communicators who can help to improve patient interactions. They can help you track medical records and ensure that all critical information is captured accurately. With a virtual assistant on your team, you can rest assured that your patient data is in good hands.

Virtual Assistants Reduce stress.

Handling clerical and administrative work can be stressful. By outsourcing these tasks to a VAMA, physicians can reduce their stress levels and focus on providing patient care.

Cost savings

VAMAs typically charge lower rates than traditional administrative assistants. They can also save your office space by working remotely. This can lead to cost savings for physicians and other healthcare professionals in the medical field.

Increased patient satisfaction

A VAMA can help to increase patient satisfaction in several ways. One of the most crucial methods is helping streamline the prior authorization process. A VAMA can help reduce the time of waiting for approvals by verifying insurance eligibility and coverage.

Additionally, VAMAs can help ensure that appointments are scheduled at facilities that are in-network with the patient’s insurance plan. This can help to minimize out-of-pocket expenses for patients. Ultimately, this support can lead to a more positive patient experience, increasing satisfaction.

Virtual Assistants Prevents Physician Burnout.

A VAMA is a great way to prevent physician burnout. Physicians are overworked and understaffed, and a VAMA can take some burdens off their shoulders. VAMAs can handle prior authorizations, insurance verification, and other administrative work, allowing physicians to see more patients.

VAMAs can also communicate with patients and insurance companies on the physicians’ behalf, reducing the time the physicians have to spend on paperwork. Overall, VAMAs help to keep the private practice running smoothly and reduce the risk of physicians’ burnout and risk rate.

The virtual assistant market is booming, and for a good reason. Businesses find that they can save costs and improve their productivity by hiring virtual assistants. And, as the virtual assistant market continues to grow, businesses are seeing a decline in employee turnover rates.

Virtual assistants are becoming more specialized and can do more work than ever. They can handle everything from customer service to bookkeeping to prior authorization. This means that businesses no longer have to worry about training new employees and can spend time focusing on their core business functions.

As the virtual assistant market grows, businesses will continue to see declining employee turnover rates. This is because virtual assistants are reliable, efficient, and affordable. So, consider hiring a virtual assistant if you’re looking to reduce your attrition rate.

How do I find a VAMA?

There are several ways to find a VAMA. One way is to use a staffing agency that specializes in virtual assistants. Another way is to use a website that connects businesses with virtual assistants. Finally, you can also contact local virtual assistant firms in your area.