Questions
Questions about medical billing, answered.
Straight answers to what consultants ask before they move their billing to HAS. If yours isn’t here, ring us on 01 492 8000.
About HAS
Who we are, and who we work with.
What does HAS Medical Billing do?
HAS Medical Billing does the billing for hospital consultants in private practice in Ireland. We register you with the insurers, bill Vhi, Laya Healthcare, Irish Life Health, Level Health, the other insurers and the hospitals, and follow up every queried, rejected and underpaid claim until it’s settled. You have your own account manager, and you can see every invoice in your HAS account.
Is HAS Medical Billing the same company as Hospital Accounting Services?
Yes. HAS Medical Billing is the trading name of Hospital Accounting Services Limited, at 56 Main Street, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. We’ve billed for consultants in private practice for more than 40 years, since 1984.
Which consultants do you work with?
Consultants in private practice in Ireland, on their own or in groups. Anaesthetists, radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons and physicians bill through HAS, and many have done for decades. We also bill for groups and departments, such as anaesthesia groups, radiology departments and pathology groups.
Which insurers and hospitals do you deal with?
The major insurers (Vhi, Laya Healthcare, Irish Life Health and Level Health), specialised and institutional insurers such as Garda Medical Aid, Prison Officers Medical Aid and the Department of Defence, and international claims such as Bupa International and the European Commission. We also bill each hospital you work in, the NTPF and self-pay patients.
Getting started
Starting out, or moving from another firm.
I’m starting in private practice. Can you register me with the insurers?
How long does it take to move to HAS from another billing firm?
We usually set your changeover date 3 to 4 weeks after you agree to move, which gives us time to set up our systems and adapt our software if we need to. You’re already registered, so we use your existing provider numbers.
Will HAS collect the money my old billing firm is still owed?
No. We only collect the invoices we raise, so we don’t take on your old firm’s unpaid ones. If money for one of them does come to us, we take no commission on it.
Commission
How we’re paid.
How much does HAS charge?
We take a commission on what we collect for you, so you pay only when you’re paid. It’s one all-in commission with no hidden charges, and it can be negotiated depending on the volume and value of your billing. We’ll work it out with you, against your own figures. Our commission carries VAT.
Do you take commission on invoices you didn’t raise?
No. If money arrives for invoices we didn’t raise, such as your previous firm’s, we take no commission on it.
Is there a contract or a minimum?
No. There’s no contract and no minimum, and nothing to pay on invoices that are billed but not paid. You can leave whenever you like.
Day to day
Working with HAS.
What happens when a claim is queried, rejected or underpaid?
We follow it up until it’s settled. We take it up with the hospital accounts department or the insurer: the missing claim number, the claim form that needs signing, the length-of-stay letter, the insurer that paid less than it should. If one can’t be recovered, you’ll hear it from us before your accountant.
Can I see where my invoices stand?
Yes. Your HAS account shows which invoices are paid, queried or waiting on the hospital, updated as it happens, on your phone or laptop. Your secretary and your accountant can have their own logins, and your secretary’s doesn’t show your earnings. At year end, we give your accountant your F45s, copy statements and a detailed debtor report.
Will my patients get bills from HAS?
Only for self-pay work, or when an insurer has rejected a claim in full. Patients can ring us with billing questions and pay online. If a patient queries a bill, the account goes on hold until it’s sorted.
Still have a question?
Leave your number and we’ll ring you back. Or ask us in person: we’ll come to you, wherever you work.