A 5-Point Checklist for Psychiatrists and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Private Practice
Running your own practice – whether you’re a psychiatrist or mental health nurse practitioner – means wearing a lot of hats: clinician, scheduler, office manager, and for many… biller. If you’ve been managing (aka “winging”) your own insurance billing, you might be wondering
Is it time to outsource this part of my practice?
Here’s a simple checklist to help you decide.
Check 1. You’re Spending More Than 3–5 Hours/Week on Billing
Time is money. If you’re spending hours each week checking benefits, submitting claims, calling insurance companies, or sending patient bills, ask yourself:
- Could this time be used to see more clients and grow your practice?
- Could this time be used to rest & recharge to show up strong and healthy?
If billing is eating into your practice growth and/or your sanity, it’s probably time to get support for your psychiatric practice.
Check 2. You’re Ignoring Claims Results
If you’ve ever said…
- “I don’t know why this was denied, but oh well.”
- “Why didn’t they pay as much as last time?”
- “Did this go to the deductible? I thought the deductible didn’t apply.”
- “I’ll get to that later…”
… then you could be leaving money on the table.
Outsourcing to a good billing company can take those worries off your plate, because they stay on top of denials, follow-ups, and appeals — so you don’t lose out on income you’ve already earned.
Check 3. You Don’t Know If You’re Being Paid Correctly
Do you know what you’re supposed to be reimbursed by each payer? If not, it’ll be hard to know if you’re getting shortchanged, which can put a damper on your psychiatric practice.
A good billing company compares your explanation of benefits (EOBs) to your fee schedules to ensure you’re being reimbursed at the correct contract amounts. When you’re not, they’ll flag and fight underpayments.
Check 4. Your Cash Flow Feels Inconsistent or Unpredictable
Is your monthly revenue erratic? Delayed payments, missing claims, or unworked aging can seriously mess with your income.
A good billing team keeps your revenue cycle smooth by:
- Submitting claims consistently
- Submitting clean claims
- Following up on unpaid claims
- Monitoring trends across payers
Check 5. You’re Ready to Grow — But Billing Is Holding You Back
If you’re:
- Planning to expand your caseload
- Launching new services
- Or just want some breathing room…
Then offloading billing is a smart move. It clears up mental space and frees you to focus on strategy, care, or scaling.
So… Is It Time?
If you checked even two or three items on this list, it might be time to outsource the medical billing.
As a psychiatrist or mental health nurse practitioner, you went into your own private practice to service the clients you can best help, enjoy freedom and autonomy with your time and priorities, and to make a good living. Don’t get bogged down in the parts of your private practice that someone else can do better and more effectively – like the billing.
At MindEase Billing, a medical billing service in Oregon, we welcome psychiatrists and mental health nurse practitioners in solo private practice. To learn more about us, check out our Services Page. When you’re ready to request a Discovery Call to see if we’d be a good fit, hit the button below.