Frequently Asked Questions

How long has D'Souza & Associates been in business?

D’Souza & Associates has been in business since 1989.

How many clients does D'Souza & Associates have?

D’Souza & Associates handles over 150 providers, a healthy mixture of both group and solo practitioners.
Can D'Souza & Associates provide me with references?

References can certainly be provided upon request.

Do I get software access and is it an added cost?

D’Souza & Associates will provide web based access directly to your dataset at no added cost. You can access it anytime day or night.

Does the software come with an appointment scheduler?

Yes. Our software has a user friendly system scheduler, which actually dials out every night to check the insurance eligibility of the patients you have scheduled.

Does my practice receive software training?

Absolutely. D’Souza & Associates will come out to your practice as often as needed to educate your office staff.

How secure is my information?

All data is encrypted and each practice has their own dataset. Everything is password protected.

What is the turnaround time for billing?

D’Souza & Associates transmits your claims electronically within 72 hours of receipt as long as all the needed information has been received.

What is the cost of each bill?

Unlike many billing companies, D’Souza & Associates does not charge on a per claim basis. There is just one flat fee based on the amount we collect for you.

Who receives my insurance checks?

You do. All payments will still come directly to you. All we need are your explanation of benefits.

Can I have a lock box for my checks?

Yes, of course. D’Souza & Associates works with many banks to coordinate receiving all explanation of benefits and correspondence directly from them.

Will D'Souza & Associates follow up on all my unpaid claims?

YES. We have a team of people working specifically on your account, calling the insurance company to find out about all unpaid claims, working all explanation of benefits, processing all correspondence and working with your patients as well as office staff to ensure payment for every claim.

Will D'Souza & Associates handle the patients I want to send to collections?

D’Souza & Associates is not a collection agency. We will send out patient statements. After the patient has received 3 statements and a final notice, any patients you would like to send to collections are at your discretion. We will work with any collection agency of your choosing.

Is D'Souza & Associates limited to a geographical area?

No. D’Souza & Associates has the ability to do billing for any client anywhere in the United States.

How does D'Souza & Associates communicate with my office staff?

Various ways, through email, fax, phone, etc., whichever is easier for you.

How do I get my daily billing to D'Souza & Associates?

D’Souza & Associates will provide you with pre-stamped, self addressed, priority mail envelopes. This is all included in our billing rate. You may also scan your information and email it to us.

What is the contract term for D'Souza & Associates?

One, three, or 5 years

Would D'Souza & Associates provide me with reports?

YES. D’Souza & Associates sends out a packet of various reports to you monthly. If you need anything more, just let us know.

What types of practices will D'Souza & Associates do billing for?

All types. D’Souza & Associates handles a wide range of specialties; cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, urology, nephrology, surgery, etc.

Does D'Souza & Associates have any coders on staff?

Yes. D’Souza & Associates has a team of expert coders, all certified and able to check your billing prior to it being sent to the insurance companies, as well as provide any assistance to the physician.

Is D'Souza & Associates HIPAA Compliant?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is one of the most far-reaching pieces of health care legislation ever passed by Congress. It articulates how payors and providers treat Protected Health Information, to ensure patient privacy. This mandate has requirements for information systems as well as for providers and billers to enforce policies and procedures for using, storing and sharing patient information. It also includes national standards for electronic transactions between payors and providers, and requires all providers and payors to comply with these standards.

By October 16, 2003, all physicians and payors were required to be compliant with HIPAA’s new national Transactions standards. Many providers are still struggling to comply with HIPAA’s standards. D’Souza & Associates is fully HIPAA compliant and is committed to meeting HIPAA requirements every step of the way. We are also fully equipped to educate your staff on achieving HIPAA compliance in your practice with seamless ease.

Where other vendors are not HIPAA compliant, D’Souza & Associates has:

• The ability to easily record and manage patient requests, restrictions, and complaints via Patient Notes
• A Disclosure Log feature that allows users to track all disclosures made with regard to a patient’s record
• A Patient Privacy summary that accompanies each patient throughout the practice workflow, alerting practices to the patient’s current privacy status (e.g., if the patient has been given the Notice of Privacy Practices)
•The ability to store and print Compliance Forms with ease

We have also taken steps to ensure that our customer service, claim submission, payment posting, claim tracking, and denial processing operations are also compliant with HIPAA Privacy regulations. Similar to what practices will need to do with their own personnel and operations, we are committed to making sure that our staff and services operate according to policies and procedures consistent with HIPAA.

D’Souza & Associates also has maintained a certain degree of security, customizable for your practice. Here are just some of our built in practices.

• A User Access Log that will allow practice managers to view all users that have logged into their practice
• User access and administration security levels
• Upgraded password and user account management standards

Auto-logoff of user accounts after a specified period of time to help prevent unauthorized access