Insights
How Do You Switch Medical Billing Companies Smoothly?
Switch medical billing companies with a phased handoff: the old vendor works existing AR while the new team starts new claims, with weekly reconciliation.
To switch medical billing companies smoothly, use a phased handoff. Keep your current vendor working existing AR, start new dates of service with the new team, confirm clearinghouse and payer access before go-live, and reconcile weekly. MB Claims supports this kind of transition so cash flow does not stall while responsibilities change hands. MB Claims supports this through its medical billing service.
What should happen before you give notice to your current biller?
Before giving notice, read your contract for termination terms, data-return rights, and AR runout language. Confirm you own your payer enrollments, clearinghouse account, and practice management data. Pull current AR aging, denial, and payment reports. Then line up the new vendor so access, reporting, and a go-live date are ready the day notice is delivered.
Run through this short pre-notice list:
- Review the contract: termination notice period, fees for runout work, and what happens to your data.
- Confirm ownership: your NPI, tax ID, payer portal logins, and clearinghouse enrollment should be in your practice's name, not the vendor's.
- Export baseline reports: AR aging by payer, open denials, unbilled charges, and recent payment history.
- Pick a cutover date: many practices choose a date-of-service or month boundary so old and new work are easy to separate. Year-end is a common choice, but confirm your payer-specific timing rules.
Who works the old AR during a transition?
There are two common models. Under AR runout, your outgoing vendor keeps working claims for dates of service before the cutover, usually for a set period under contract terms. Under AR takeover, the new team picks up open balances right away. Which fits depends on your contract, your data access, and how cooperative the outgoing vendor is.
Decide the model in writing before cutover:
- Runout by the old vendor: keeps accountability for older claims, but you need an agreed end date and reporting so aging balances do not go quiet.
- Takeover by the new vendor: a single team owns everything, but it requires complete claim history, payer portal access, and clean reports.
- Hybrid: the old vendor finishes recent, active claims while the new team takes older or stalled balances.
Whichever you choose, assign one named owner on your side to track open items.
| Transition task | Owner | When to complete |
|---|---|---|
| Review contract and runout terms | Practice manager | Before notice |
| Export AR aging, denial, and payment reports | Current vendor / practice | Before notice |
| Confirm clearinghouse and payer portal access | New vendor and practice | Before go-live |
| Update EFT, ERA, and payer contact details | Practice and new vendor | Before go-live |
| Define old vs. new dates of service | Practice and both vendors | Before go-live |
| Weekly reconciliation of claims, payments, denials | Practice and new vendor | Weekly after go-live |
| Final AR tie-out and runout close | Practice manager | End of runout period |
How do you confirm nothing falls through the cracks?
Reconcile every week during the transition. Compare charges entered, claims submitted, payments posted, and denials worked between the old and new teams against your baseline reports. Check clearinghouse acceptance reports for rejections, and verify that remittances and payer deposits route to the right place. Log every gap, assign an owner, and close it before the next weekly review.
A simple weekly reconciliation routine:
- Match charges from your schedule or EHR to claims submitted.
- Review clearinghouse rejections and fix them the same week.
- Confirm ERAs and EFT deposits are landing in the correct accounts.
- Compare open AR by payer to your baseline aging report.
- Review denials and unworked claims, and assign each an owner.
Keep this running until both sides agree the numbers tie out.
How MB Claims handles this
MB Claims provides remote medical billing, medical coding, provider credentialing, denial management, and revenue cycle management for US physician practices and clinics. We sign a BAA with every client. If you want to see where your AR stands before changing vendors, you can request a free medical billing A/R audit: we deliver a written review within 5 business days of receiving your summary reports, and no patient data is required. Where credentialing is part of the move, we keep a status log with payer, application stage, outstanding items, and confirmed effective dates so billing and scheduling teams are not relying on informal updates.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a billing company transition take?
It varies by practice size, payer mix, and how quickly access and reports are handed over. Plan for overlap between old and new teams rather than a hard stop, and set the cutover date only after access is confirmed.
Can you switch billing companies mid-year?
Yes. Many practices cut over at a month or date-of-service boundary. Year-end is popular because it is clean for reporting, but a mid-year switch works if responsibilities for old and new claims are clearly documented.
Do you need to tell payers when you change billing vendors?
Often yes, especially for ERA and EFT routing, clearinghouse enrollment, and contact details. Requirements differ by payer, so verify each payer's process rather than assuming one rule applies to all.
What should you ask a new billing company before switching?
Ask how they handle onboarding, who works old AR, what reports you will receive, how often you will reconcile, and how they protect patient data, including whether they sign a BAA.
Ready to move billing without disrupting cash flow? Outsource medical billing, coding, or credentialing with a HIPAA-aligned RCM team. Request a free medical billing audit or email hello@mbclaims.com, and see how our medical billing services fit your practice.
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