Manning Gross & Massenburg: Creating a One-Stop eBilling Shop with BillBlast
Challenges
When MaryLynn Brumble became the billing manager at MG+M The Law Firm (“MG+M”), the firm was in the midst of a large merger while also experiencing significant eBilling issues. Clearly not the optimal time to implement any new technology, there were more than enough challenges for Brumble as she pursued implementation of a new eBilling solution.
A national litigation firm, MG+M’s billing scenarios are almost exclusively multi-payor arrangements. The population and representation of data in their previous eBilling experience was not intuitive or user friendly; there was no connection between the client and the insurance company, or who is the ultimate payor responsible for invoice payment. Additionally, Brumble and her team were unable to run comprehensive reports that provided actionable insights encompassing a multitude of clients, payors, timekeepers, etc. To put it simply, the whole exercise was a struggle.
Each month, the MG+M team would quickly finalize all the paper bills first, and then begin the daunting task of processing and submitting the virtual pile of eBills. In addition to dealing with more than a dozen eBilling vendors, there were varying client-specific rules to be validated and managed. Without reliable and up-to-date information and data accuracy, MG+M was ultimately writing off earned revenue when out-of-compliance eBills passed deadlines.
“It felt like such a cat and mouse game inside the different vendor sites trying to track down thousands of eBills,” said Brumble. “Technology is supposed to make the process faster and easier, but that was not always the case.”
Solution
As time went on, Brumble and CFO Christopher McDevitt began to look at alternative solutions. As an Aderant client, BillBlast was a natural option. The team had already been exposed to BillBlast through positive reviews on an industry message board. Further research led them to another law firm with a similarly high volume of multi-payor billing, who had recently transitioned to BillBlast. The feedback was all positive and a recommendation was strongly advised. In turn, Brumble and McDevitt made the official recommendation to the Executive Committee that BillBlast was the right business decision for the firm. The Executive Committee approved and MG+M and Aderant BillBlast were officially partners.
Once the decision to purchase BillBlast was made, things moved very quickly. After some preparation meetings and due diligence, implementation began and was completed in just eight weeks. Collaborative input from MG+M enabled the BillBlast implementation team to handle all the heavy lifting. “It was a flawless transition,” said Brumble.
MG+M have been live on BillBlast for about a year and Brumble says they love it.
Business Impact
MG+M is now spending significantly less time on their entire billing process, and Brumble feels like she has a one-stop eBilling shop.
The multiple facets, as relayed by Brumble:
Improve Cash Flow: “I would say my eBills are getting submitted a week sooner than before we had BillBlast. This new transparency into receivables allowed the proper follow up on appeals, rejections and errors. This led to actionable items which allowed us to either appeal and collect or write off balances, as opposed to letting balances linger and age. An accurate aging led to more accurate projections. This has been a major improvement.”
Efficiency: “Follow up and tracking of bills and insight on the current status can be done so quickly and easily.”
Reporting: “With the data transfer, my historical A/R data was included. So that means when we started using BillBlast, I wasn’t starting at zero; it was like we had been using BillBlast as if we’d always had it. We are now providing personalized deduction reports to all attorneys, with our goal to convey congratulatory feedback, or to use as a tool to improve performance.”
In Their Words
“eBilling was such a challenge before, but BillBlast saved the day and gave us a one-stop shop for all our eBilling needs. Not only is the software and reporting a monumental improvement, but they also have the best customer service and people. We couldn’t be happier!”
— MaryLynn Brumble, Billing Manager, MG+M The Law Firm
