Medical Billing Companies & Consultants in Providence, UT

Overview

Central Billing Office, often shortened to CBO, is a revenue cycle firm headquartered in Providence, in Utah's Cache Valley. Tracey H. Kartsone launched the company in 1989. During her school years she worked in a billing office and noticed how poorly many providers were supported by their vendors. From the outset she combined claims work with operational advice for practices, and that pairing still defines the firm. Kartsone continues to lead the business as CEO.

The company began as a single-person operation in a modest 1,300-square-foot space. Growth came largely through referrals. Today more than 40 staff members work from a 10,000-square-foot facility. CBO states that it supports upward of 30 client practices in Utah. After roughly three and a half decades focused on the state, it has started taking on providers beyond Utah's borders. All work is performed domestically by employees hired from the local community, with no offshore processing.

Core billing services

Clients pay a percentage-based fee that bundles a broad set of revenue cycle tasks. That arrangement includes:

• Insurance claim billing and medical coding
• Daily electronic claim submission
• Patient statements mailed each week
• Handling of bank deposits
• Management of outstanding accounts receivable
• Practice analysis reporting
• Payer credentialing and re-credentialing
• Review and negotiation of payer contracts
• Best-practice consulting on running the practice
• Compliance training and access to the firm's billing software and scheduler

Add-on options

Beyond the bundled package, practices can contract for extra support. Options include single case agreements with payers, benefits verification, patient scheduling, and reminder calls ahead of appointments. CBO also offers a scheduler module and can supply an EHR module, which is billed at the vendor's own cost. On the administrative side, it handles payroll and employee leasing.

It also provides online review monitoring and market pricing guidance, and a tiered pricing structure is available. The firm also runs a separate offering called VIA Reception, which it lists alongside its billing services.

How the firm works with practices

CBO emphasizes direct access to people. Clients and their patients can reach a live account representative rather than an automated system, and patients with account questions are encouraged to call the office. Staff are cross-trained so that knowledge is shared across the team. Providers get round-the-clock access to their own data.

The company pledges to keep pace with HIPAA and related regulations and to use strong security tools to protect records. It also positions itself as an advisor that helps practices streamline operations and improve profitability.

Results and client feedback

The company reports that new clients see revenue rise by an average of 174 percent during their first twelve months, and that a majority at least double their prior annual figures. These are the firm's own figures. Testimonials on its site come from several clients:

• A physician group that has relied on CBO for 25 years
• A Doctor of Nursing Practice
• A doctoral-level provider's private practice
• Mountain View Urgent Care & Family Medicine, which credits CBO with bringing most of its receivables under 60 days and fixing contracting and credentialing mistakes left by a prior vendor

CBO may suit buyers looking for a Utah-based partner that combines claims processing with hands-on practice management. It brings a long track record and a sizable in-house team.