Medical Billing for SOT Programs
Original Publication Date:
August 29, 2016
Last Updated:
March 9, 2023
Estimated Read Time:
< 1 minute
Programs that serve survivors of torture can earn income through medical billing. While setting up medical billing is complex, it provides valuable income that can help a program to extend its reach. Medical billing can be handled in-house, or can be outsourced. This table summarizes some of the advantages and disadvantages of handling medical billing in-house or by outsourcing.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| In-house billing | – retaining control over your billing – being able to answer questions and make changes quickly – having a predictable return on investment. | – cost of specialized medical billing tools and technology – cost & difficulty of staffing – cost of registration with a clearinghouse – lack of internal support |
| Outsourced billing* | – economies of scale – high quality staff – dedicated & trained specialists – use provider time to run successful practice (rather than to bill) – avoid complexities of billing (68,000 codes) – get paid faster – lower stress – increase in revenue and decrease in cost | -may not pursue all – outstanding balances if low – billers are not immediately available in your office – percentage paid could be higher than in-house billing department cost: evaluate to be sure |