Ally billing solutions
The Behavioral Healthcare Billing Experts

Ally Billing Solutions lives by its powerful motto, ‘no claims left behind.’ It showcases the team’s relentless pursuit to scrutinize and reevaluate every medical insurance claim, ensuring accurate adjudication for each one every three weeks for accurate reimbursement for every line item.

While it handles a wide range of medical accounts, its real strength lies in serving the behavioral health community. The company is an expert in medical billing and coding services for substance abuse and detox centers, residential and outpatient treatment programs, and certain psychiatric and counseling facilities.

The reason behind this specialization?

The drive to specialize comes from the top. CEO Teri Manalastas, who had experience managing a psychiatric office, saw firsthand how conventional billing companies often fell short in the behavioral health space.

“Billing for behavioral health is a whole different ball game, and not many billing companies are as conversant with its nuances as they are with regular medical accounts,” says Manalastas.

For instance, while a typical medical claim with United Healthcare is directly submitted to them, a behavioral health claim may require routing to Optum. Unlike medical billing, where overall profitability may persist even if specific line items go unreimbursed, behavioral health billing lacks this financial cushion.

With her master’s degree in psychology, Teri set out to create a billing company that not only handles the numbers but truly understands the distinct challenges of behavioral health. This deep comprehension is what makes Ally Billing Solutions not just a service provider, but a true ally in the field.

Manalastas is firm in her approach. “We don’t consign an unpaid claim into a drawer and let it go, even if it’s a mere $5 claim that earns us just 50 cents. No claim is too small to be overlooked for us.”

To achieve this, Ally employs specialized accounts receivable representatives, who dedicate their time to directly communicate with insurance companies, championing every single line item on a claim. The company’s international team works in tandem to gather all crucial patient information while strictly adhering to HIPAA regulations. This global concerted effort seamlessly integrates with the on-site staff and ensures that every claim, regardless of its monetary worth, receives the follow-up it deserves.

A testament to Ally’s impact is a pivotal instance where the company played a crucial role in rescuing three substance abuse facilities that were teetering on the edge of closure. These facilities struggled with challenges caused by billing companies that failed to grasp the nuances of substance abuse and behavioral health billing. Issues ranged from erroneous billing and claim misplacement to critical credentialing problems, resulting in being out of the network and facing unpaid claims.

Ally didn’t just come to the rescue; it orchestrated a whole revamp of their revenue cycle management (RCM) department. Picture fixing credentialing snafus, renegotiating contracts, and making sure providers dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t’ from benefits verification to utilization review, coding, billing, and managing accounts receivable—a holistic solution that turned the tide for the client.

Thanks to Ally’s expertise, claims are now processed accurately, resulting in the highest reimbursement rates. The positive impact is palpable, as these facilities not only remain operational but are expanding, soon opening their second facility.

In another notable case, Ally intervened to assist a facility serving first responders and military personnel with substance abuse treatment, which was struggling with Tricare insurance challenges. The key issue was the incorrect application of bill types, place of service, and facility codes. Tricare—recognizing residential treatment centers (RTCs) as hospitals—required a specific billing approach, different from that of commercial insurance. Ally identified the fundamental billing errors, markedly improving the facility’s financial situation, especially since 90 percent of their clients were under Tricare.

Going the extra mile, Ally also extended its expertise to address issues with Veterans Affairs (VA), focusing on the contractual problems. This thorough and proactive strategy solved immediate concerns and laid the groundwork for sustainable, long-term financial management.

The credit definitely goes to Ally’s steadfast team—a crew that has been in the medical billing game since day one. As the company approaches its 10th year, it boasts a unique strength of experience that has finely tuned its ability to handle tricky situations. Regular team meetings further ensure everyone stays aligned, while stringent key performance indicators facilitate close and effective monitoring.

Today, Ally has been growing exclusively through word of mouth. Clients often perceive Ally as an integral part of their organizations. This hands-on and transparent approach effectively addresses billing challenges and cultivates a strong bond with clients, fostering a level of trust and reliability that is rare in the industry.