Sorry for your loss … of revenue
You didn't go into medicine to manage billing workflows but, as a practice owner, revenue leakage is a business reality you can't afford to ignore. This issue rarely comes from undercharging; it happens in the gap between delivering patient care and actually receiving payment.
Even minor oversights in coding or documentation can add up quickly. The good news: most of these problems are preventable with the right systems in place.
Where the money gets lost
As the treating practitioner, you're responsible for selecting and authorising the Medicare Benefits Scheme item number — don't leave your practice manager to make assumptions about consultation length or complexity. When the handover between clinical and administrative processes is unclear, errors, missed charges and
compliance issues follow.
This is especially true for inpatient and ward round work, where documentation is often unstructured. Without a clear system for recording and submitting billing details, you could be leaving money behind.
System maintenance creates its own risks. The Medicare Benefits Schedule is updated regularly, and private health funds won't process claims correctly if your fee schedules aren't current. Billing software misconfigured at setup (e.g. missing referring doctor information or procedure specifics) triggers automatic rejections. By the
time you notice, months of claims may need resubmission.
5 ways to improve your billing process
- Standardise how billing information is captured
The less ambiguity in your documentation workflow, the fewer errors downstream. Digital forms, ward round templates and daily submission deadlines take the reliance off handwritten notes, and off your memory at the end of a long day. - Train your team properly
Most persistent billing problems trace back to inadequate training or poor set-up. New billing staff need structured onboarding and existing staff need regular refreshers as Medicare schedules change. Beyond knowing how to submit a claim, they need to know when something is wrong and how to fix it. - Keep your systems current
Ensure your billing team sets quarterly reminders to review and update Medicare fee schedules, private health fund billing codes and provider number registrations. Preventive maintenance is far less costly than chasing rejected claims. - Don't neglect follow-up
Many practices submit claims well, but under-resource the follow-up. Accounts age, months pass, and you're facing Medicare's two-year limitation period with revenue you may never recover. Effective debt recovery requires dedicated, systematic attention, which is hard to sustain when you're running a clinical practice. - Know when to bring in specialists
Resolving rejections, appealing fund decisions and navigating billing disputes require expertise that goes beyond most inhouse teams. Bringing in this expertise and technologies to help can be a great investment.
The bottom line
The most cost-effective approach to billing isn't fixing problems; it's preventing them. When systems are properly configured, staff are well trained and documentation processes are clear, claims process smoothly, and you get paid for the work you've already done.
Find out more
Avant's Billings & Revenue Recovery
This article was originally published in Connect magazine issue 26 in May 2026.
The information in this publication does not constitute legal, financial, medical or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. It is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on matters of interest and it is not intended to be comprehensive. Persons implementing any recommendations contained in this publication must exercise their own independent skill or judgement and seek appropriate professional advice relevant to their own particular circumstances. Compliance with any recommendations will not in any way guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients and others coming into contact with the health professional or practice. Avant and its related entities are not responsible to any person for any loss suffered in connection with the use of this information. Information is only current at the date initially published.