ACT Insurance Billing

[Mr Bill]

I just got approved to do insurance billing through ACT.
I am not quite sure of the billing process. ACT sent me a xeroxed copy of an ACT work order. After I call them and they approve the repair, do I fax a copy of the completed repair order to them when I have completed the repair? There are two copies of the repair order on the page which they sent me. Do I keep one copy for my records?
Do I have to keep my fax machine on "recieve" all the time, in case I recieve a repair order by fax?
Could someone out there please write a detailed operating proceedure for ACT billing?
:eusa_thin

[GlassStarz]

Its pretty simple you call ACT give them the info (customer name &ins info) hand the phone to your customer and go to work. Have the customer sign the work order if you want and keep it somewhere in case of audit by the insurance company. (never happened to me in 3 years) You dont need to fax anything or recieve any fax,s and personaly I dont bother with the work order either. You will recieve a email from ACT on each order with all the info in it. Twice a week ACT pays whatever claims have been paid to them I use an auto pay so it goes into my acct dirrect. They send a email telling you what is being deposited and which deals they are paying on.
ACT costs a little more but its a no brainer you dont need a fax and dont need to keep a bunch of billing info just fix breaks and collect the $ they do the rest.
my thinking is I hate paperwork and dont want to bother with billing and most buisnesses eat 25% of the net on expenses for me its cheaper to do it this way with no headaches as a bonus

[GlassStarz]

And by the way bill I see your in Santa Cruz im SCHS class of 77 go CARDINALS! (what the h$#% am I doing freezin here in VT?)

[maxryde]

I too use the act program, it is simple. Make the call to act and do the repair. That's it, or prequalify the repair, (call the 800 # on the back of the insured's card and get a claim and or dispatch# directly from the ins co or network) and then at the days end make one call to act and give them the information for the day. (This reduces the cost to 7.95 for ea.) If you do this you will want to prep your customer for potential steering as it will happen on a regular basis! Make sure to have the customer sign the authorization to pay at the bottom of the form!! I have been asked to provide a copy for the folks at safelite a couple of times as of late and I believe you are required to keep the copy of the act work order for a number of years!! So get organized for some paper storage that is secure. I believe you need a dedicated fax line also, just call the phone co. and they will help with that. You can add a line and # that has a distinctive ring and set your fax to recognize the ring and voila, like 15.00 bucks a month. When you get to the yellow pages and fleets etc. you

[Coitster]

Mr Bill, I am in San Jose california, just over the hill from you. I also do repairs in Santa Cruz all the time. Good to have another tech in the area.
David
Coitster

[Dave M]

I don't use ACT for my billing but after reading what Maxryde and GlassStarz have posted, I'm a little confused!
GlassStarz, you say you don't need a fax line but Maxryde says you do need a dedicated fax line.
GlassStarz says to have the customer sign the work order but later says not to bother with the work order?
GlassStarz says that you don't need to keep a bunch of billing info, but Maxryde says you are required to keep a copy of the work order for a couple of years.
For the guys wanting to use ACT could someone clarify this?

[GlassStarz]

They want you to have a signed order on file somewhere but in 3 years they have asked for it once so why bother? The one time a insurance company did ask for a signature ACT sent the customer the required form to fill out.
Never needed a fax with ACT cant figure out why you would need one? When you get the pre approv # to save $7.95 you give them the ACT fax # and ACT does everything too me by email so again unsure why you would need one.
I think somepeople get the fact that most networks require a fixxed fax mixed up with you needing one at your location. If ACT is your authorized billing agent thier fax is what you use.
I work out of a post office box for an address and a DBA for checking I believe in doing as little paperwork as possible if I can go out and sell 5+ repairs a day and do nothing else (IE paperwork,billing,advertising,rent office space or hire an office person or accountant why do it?)
As far as steering I hand the phone to the customer and start the repair would like to see them try to steer me off the hood :0) If you are working on the car already its hard for them to convince the customer to stopp you isnt it?

[code3wsr]

I too use ACT and here is the low down as simply as I can put it.
When you get a customer that wants to use their insurance tell them :

" I will call my billing service and then put you on the phone, all you need is your insurance card. I will probably be about halfway done with your chip when you are done."

Then call the ACT phone number tell them you have a claim for 1,2, or 3 chips, they will give you a claim number, then put the customer on the phone.

Thats it ....really thats all there is to it. :eusa_clap

I have my own recipts that I use. If it is an insurance claim I write the claim number act gave me on it and when the jobs done I have the customer sign it. That way I use my own paperwork and have a record of the claim and a signature.

When you get home you will have an email from act with the claim number and all the customer info..ie: make and model of car also the VIN and the customers name and address.

After ACT gets paid by the ins. co. they send you another email stating they made a deposit in the amount of $$$$ to you acct. for claim number ###

No fax
No special paperwork
No headache

[Rainman]

On most of the posts an insurance card is mentioned....Im from Massachusetts...No card required or given...What info do I need to
give to ACT? Would I need a copy of the insurance policy?

[GlassStarz]

Have done several Mass cars here while on vacation they all have a insurance card in the glove box federal law requires proof of insurance