For beginners, processing medical bills can surely get a little confusing. With forms, fees, and back-and-forth filing that can go on for days (or even months), it’s important to keep yourself guided on the basics. Here’s an easy guide to medical billing and coding for dummies.

Insurance issues are the top reason for most claim denials. Typically, failure to verify stems from an overreliance on routine. If a patient enters the office frequently, the staff may assume their insurance provider or coverage plan hasn’t changed and doesn’t check eligibility.

Today’s medical billing process is often so complicated, that it’s commonplace for bills to take not just days but months to finalize when patients present with a complicated case or a significant medical history to take into account.

As of January 1, 2022, consumers have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers.