When Sharp places you with a practice, the practice becomes your client. You represent Sharp to them, and you represent them to their patients. Both have to trust you.
The first two weeks
- Learn their setup: EHR, clearinghouse, payers, fee schedule, financial policy, escalation matrix.
- Learn their people: who approves write-offs, who handles clinical questions, who wants to be copied on what.
- Agree on response times: for example, patient calls returned the same business day, owner emails within four hours.
- Write it down. Keep a one-page client profile and update it.
The weekly rhythm
| Day | What |
|---|---|
| Daily | Eligibility for next day’s appointments; post payments; return patient calls |
| Twice a week | Work denials and rejections |
| Weekly | A/R follow-up by age bucket; short report to the owner |
| Monthly | Re-verify all active patients; KPI summary |
The weekly report
Owners are busy. Keep it short and lead with what matters:
Week of May 12. Collected $18,420 (target $17,000). 6 new denials, 4 already corrected and resubmitted. Aetna is underpaying 90837 by $12 per claim since April; I’ve opened a ticket and will update you Friday. Nothing needed from you this week.
Rules for client communication
- No surprises. If something is going wrong, the owner hears it from you first, with the numbers and a plan.
- Facts, not blame. “The payer changed its telehealth policy on April 1” beats “insurance is being difficult.”
- Ask one clear question at a time when you need a decision.
- Protect PHI in every message. Use aggregate numbers by email; patient details only in the approved secure channel.
- Own your mistakes the same way you’d want a vendor to own theirs.
What makes Sharp specialists different
Practices can hire a biller anywhere. They keep a Sharp specialist because the specialist understands the money and treats their patients with care. That combination is what this certificate stands for.