Question
What type office software is necessary for running a private practice?
Answer
Most insurance companies have their own billing systems and it doesn't cost anything to go onto their websites and do the electronic billing. There are some programs out there that do the scheduling and the note-taking so that you can have everything. One program would be "Practice Resource" and there are a couple of others. If you are starting out slow, you are not going to have the money for those types of software, especially if you have to use someone else's report forms. It wouldn't pay to get a program that would allow you to do a report template because most businesses have their own documentation system. So, you really want to take a look at how you can limit your cost up front and then as you get bigger, you might find that moving into some of those programs would be worthwhile.
This Ask the Expert was taken from the course entitled: This Ask the Expert was taken from the course entitled: Private Practice Basics - Developing Referral Sources and Pricing Services
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Denise Dougherty is a solo practitioner in Pennsylvania and consults for The Arijah Children's Foundation in Anguilla, BWI, providing evaluations and therapy for special needs children. Denise serves as the President of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA), and is the AAPPSPA liaison for ASHA Health Care Economics Committee.
