According to Experian Health’s 2025 State of Claims Survey, 41% of healthcare providers reported that at least 10% of their insurance claims were being denied. This is particularly concerning because the revenue of a medical practice determines its stability, and getting properly compensated is important so you can continue providing care for your patients. However, getting reimbursed isn’t as simple as just submitting claims because some of them could be denied, or insurance payers might require additional documents.
If your practice is handling a large volume of claims, these issues can easily overwhelm your existing billing team. This is where healthcare virtual assistants (VAs) are most valuable. But can they step into a medical billing specialist role? If so, how much of the process can you assign to someone working remotely?
Can Healthcare Virtual Assistants Perform Medical Billing?
The short answer is yes.
Healthcare virtual assistants in a billing specialist role can do a lot of administrative tasks related to processing insurance claims and managing patient accounts. Because most billing workflows are performed within an electronic health record (EHR) system, much of the work can be done in a remote location.
What Medical Billing Tasks Can You Assign to a Healthcare VA?
Depending on their qualifications, medical billing VAs can assist with several stages of your practice’s revenue cycle.
Insurance Verification and Claims Submission
Before submitting any insurance claim, you must confirm whether or not the patient’s coverage is active and if their insurance information is accurate. Otherwise, you run the risk of overlooking discrepancies that could result in a claim rejection by the insurer.
To keep claim rejections to a minimum, a medical billing VA can verify patients’ insurance eligibility, review the information provided by the patient, and prepare the claims themselves so they can be submitted using your choice of billing software. Some VAs may also have experience with coding, potentially strengthening your claim submission process.
Claims Follow-Up and Denial Management
Not all insurance claims are processed immediately after submission. Sometimes, your billing team may need to contact the insurance payer directly to determine what’s causing the delay and whether additional information is needed.
To keep outstanding claims from piling up, a medical billing VA can regularly check their statuses and communicate with insurance representatives on your behalf. If the payer requests additional documents, your VA can coordinate with your billing team to make sure the requirements are addressed.
For claims that have already been denied, the next step will depend on why they were denied by the insurer. Your VA can review the reason provided by the insurer, correct any errors, and prepare the claims for resubmission. However, cases that involve medical necessity or coding disputes are more complicated and may need to be reviewed by your billing specialist or healthcare providers.
Payment Posting and Accounts Receivable
Maintaining accuracy in your billing records is critical because with accurate records, you can monitor how much revenue your practice has received during a specific time period and how much insurance payers still owe you. To help with this, a medical billing VA can handle payment posting by reviewing remittance advice from insurers and recording the corresponding amounts in your billing software.
Apart from recording payments, they can also assist with accounts receivable management, particularly when you have several claims that have remained unpaid for an extended period. By reviewing aging reports, your VA can determine which accounts have outstanding balances and need further follow-up with the insurance payer.
Can a Healthcare VA Handle Claims Follow-Up Independently?
Yes, although the amount of supervision they’ll need largely depends on their experience with medical billing and how familiar they are with your practice’s workflow.
If your VA has already worked with insurance payers and understands how claims are processed, they may be able to handle routine follow-ups without requiring instructions from your staff every time. However, this doesn’t mean they should be authorized to make decisions involving payment adjustments or changes to clinical documentation.
To help your VA work independently, you should establish a clear process for handling billing concerns that require your approval. This way, they can continue managing their assigned responsibilities while knowing when to involve the appropriate members of your team.
What Should You Consider Before Hiring a Medical Billing VA?
Because medical billing involves working with insurance companies and handling financial information, you should prioritize candidates who already have experience with the revenue cycle. Familiarity with your practice’s EHR system and billing software is also important, especially if you’re planning to assign claims processing and payment posting responsibilities.
Apart from their experience with medical billing, you should also consider how well they communicate with insurance representatives and your existing staff. Since they’ll be following up on claims and coordinating with different payers, your VA needs to understand the information being requested and relay it to the appropriate members of your team so that any outstanding concerns can be addressed accordingly.
Another important consideration is their knowledge of HIPAA. Since medical billing involves access to protected health information (PHI), you need to make sure your VA understands the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality and following your practice’s security procedures. Depending on your arrangement with the VA provider, a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) may also be required.
Is a Medical Billing VA Right for Your Practice?
If your practice is receiving more insurance claims than your existing billing staff can comfortably manage, hiring a medical billing VA may be a practical way to address the additional workload. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to assign the entire billing process to someone working remotely. You can start by identifying which responsibilities consume most of your team’s working hours and determine whether these can be handled by a VA.
If you decide that additional billing assistance is necessary, medical virtual assistant providers like My Mountain Mover can help you find a VA whose experience aligns with your practice’s needs, giving you the opportunity to assign routine billing responsibilities to someone dedicated to managing them while your existing staff continues handling more complex cases.
Find a Medical Billing VA for Your Practice with My Mountain Mover
Managing insurance claims can become increasingly difficult as your practice grows, especially when your existing staff is already handling several other administrative responsibilities. If you’re considering additional help, My Mountain Mover can connect you with a medical billing virtual assistant based on the qualifications and experience your practice requires.
Whether you need someone to assist with claims submission, follow up on outstanding reimbursements, or maintain your billing records, you can explore your staffing options with My Mountain Mover.
Get Started with My Mountain Mover
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a medical billing VA work with multiple insurance payers?
Yes. A medical billing VA can work with different insurance payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. However, since each payer has its own requirements for processing claims, it’s important that your VA understands these differences so they can follow the appropriate procedures when handling your practice’s billing transactions.
Can a medical billing VA work with an outsourced billing company?
Yes. Even if your practice already works with a third-party billing company, you may still need someone to coordinate billing-related information between your staff and the provider. A medical billing VA can help with this by organizing the necessary documents and responding to information requests, provided these responsibilities aren’t already covered by your existing arrangement.
What medical specialties can benefit from hiring a medical billing VA?
Medical billing VAs can assist practices across different specialties, although the type of experience you’ll need may vary. For example, a behavioral health practice may have different insurance billing requirements than a physical therapy clinic. If your practice handles specialty-specific procedures, you may want to prioritize candidates who are already familiar with the corresponding billing requirements.
