Office Ally: Free Online Billing

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!

Comments

[Tom Cloyd]

Robin, you have two links in this post. Both have problems.

1. "One Health Port" - does not go to anything useful. The correct link appears to be http://www.onehealthport.com/services/administrative_ally.php

2. Your NPI "here" link goes to a company, not to the site where NPI nos. are obtained. Confusing. This appears to be the correct site: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/

I appreciate your calling my attention to this information. I hope my correct links are useful to you, and to others who come here!

[Robin Shapiro]

Thanks, Tom! I put them directly into the text, and checked them out.Your links work.
R

[Cass Nevada]

Robin and any others out there: have you had any problems submitting claims thru Office Ally for Medicare patients?

[Robin Shapiro]

I use office ally, but haven't had to bill any medicare patients. Anybody else?
R

[Cindy]

Hi,
Just now learning about Office Ally/Practice Mate. Do you still use it? any problems with it?
Cindy

[Robin Shapiro]

I just did all my billing for two months(14 insurance clients and a bill to someone's mother) in under two hours, including entering all the dates of service in my files. Office Ally just told me that two were rejected, and why. I'll fix them and send them back today, the day after I entered them incorrectly, instead of weeks after not having received a check.
I love it. Who needs a billing service? And If I use the copy and paste clicks, I can fill in all the years, CPT Codes, and Fees, with many less key strokes.
I think you should try it. The price is right!
Good luck,
R