Good medical billing is a key metric of health care quality, experts suggest

The authors behind a new paper are encouraging good medical billing practices, arguing that it’s a mark of quality health care. The information medical bills contain and what tactics companies use to collect payment can vary, but the authors outline five metrics by which to judge medical bills. Among them: Bills of high quality would provide patients with an itemized and understandable list of services; would allow patients to easily contact a representative to clarify or contest their bill; and wouldn’t involve any “surprise” charges. “Incorporating measures of billing quality into reports of overall hospital quality could provide patients with a more complete assessment of a given medical center or practice,” the authors write.