Medical Billing Companies & Consultants in Johnstown, PA

Based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Laurel Highlands Medical Consultants, Inc. provides reimbursement and advisory services to healthcare providers. Most of its customers are independent doctors and allied health practitioners who would rather hand off their financial and clerical workload to an outside firm than employ a large in-house team for it. Business directories list the company as a billing provider that serves many specialties, so it is not limited to any one branch of medicine.

Services

The core of the firm's work is getting insurance claims paid. It submits claims through electronic channels to numerous payers and prepares the statements that go out to patients for the practices it represents. It also offers dictation transcription and a broader set of practice support functions. Its main offerings are reported to include:

• Reimbursement and claims handling for practices in many different specialties
• Electronic claim submission to numerous insurers
• Creation and mailing of statements to patients
• Transcription produced from digital voice recordings, with completed documents reportedly returned within one to two days
• Consulting on reimbursement processes and day-to-day front-office procedures
• Help with practice finances, including cash-flow planning and acquiring new equipment
• Workshops and training sessions held from time to time to help office staff run more smoothly

How the firm works with clients

The company does more than send claims to insurers. It presents itself as an all-around resource for its client offices. Its staff examine how each office handles reimbursement internally, advise physicians on money matters, and coach receptionists and other administrative staff. The firm's entry with the Better Business Bureau states that it adjusts its services to fit the needs of each practice. This hands-on approach suits smaller and mid-sized independent offices that have few administrative employees of their own.

Background and leadership

Debra A. Iachini-Lux started the business in 1991, when it was called Debton Medical Consultants, Inc. Before that, she spent eight years as the manager of a physician practice in Johnstown. In May 2005 she renamed the company Laurel Highlands Medical Consultants to reflect its widening base of clients across Pennsylvania. She is still its only owner. Also in 1991, she earned the Certified Medical Manager (CMM) credential from the national body that awards it. She later served that organization at the national level as its president, its secretary and its parliamentarian. The firm's vice president is Gregory M. Widmann.

According to a 2018 article in a regional business publication, the company had a staff of about ten people serving around 25 independent doctors and allied health practitioners. Prospective clients should expect a small firm run directly by its owner, not a large national outsourcing company. Its strengths are its long history in western Pennsylvania, leadership by a certified medical manager who has held national office in her professional organization, and the ease of getting reimbursement, transcription and practice advice from a single provider.