Payer Strategy and Credentialing Solutions

Ignite Your Payer Relationships

Lighthouse’s Payer Strategy Solutions team specializes in payer contracting, credentialing, and negotiation services for all provider types, with a focus on pathology and medical laboratories.

Partnering with medical labs, managed care companies, health systems, and providers, we offer subject matter expertise and insights into in-network credentialing and contracting, strategic planning, managed care contracting, and value-based care contracting.

Assisting clinical labs with payer strategies and providing managed care contracting and consulting services.

Why Payer Strategy Solutions?

Lighthouse Lab Services empowers laboratories to expand their reach and revenue through expert payer contracting, credentialing, and negotiation. Our team of experts specializes in navigating the complexities of managed care to secure favorable contracts and streamline credentialing processes.

Review our latest case study on how we helped one of our clients get 18 contracts, which include a combination of Medicaid, MCOs, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS).

Service Terminology

Enrollment

A provider term that generally represents the process of a provider applying to health insurance companies/payers for participation in their networks. Payer network types include HMO, PPO, POS, EPO, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and rental networks, to name a few.

Credentialing

A payer term that generally represents the internal process of reviewing a provider’s credentials against national, standardized protocols and standards, such as those presented by NCQA and URAC. Payers utilize credentialing committees that meet with varying frequencies and are the critical dependency to contracting.

Contracting

This step occurs following successful credentialing. Once a provider is credentialed, a standard network contract is offered to the provider. Typical reimbursement rates are based upon a fee schedule as a percentage of Medicare.

 

The Payer Strategy Solutions team also provides reimbursement analysis and assistance with pre-authorizations and interpreting medical policies. With 40 years of industry experience, we have the contacts and ability to generate more revenue for our clients.

Mark Dietz

Business Development Manager, RCM Solutions

Service Highlights


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Contract review to ensure clients get the best possible rates, as well as efforts to increase reimbursement over the lifetime of the deal, in full regulatory compliance.

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Look at your location, test menu, current contracts, and what MACs you’re in. Offer strategic guidance based on your goals.

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Leverage many years of industry experience to ensure all applications are given prompt consideration.

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We strive to obtain the best rates possible compared to other laboratories of similar size.

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Competitive pricing tailored for your specific needs.

Through In-Network Agreements, We Enable Our Clients To:

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Increase patient and specimen volume

Strengthen payer partnerships

Grow market share

Improve reimbursement

"Lighthouse has been a true ally through the years, battling the slings and arrows of the Pathology world. I can rely on them to keep up with laws and issues we face, while I focus on Pathology and patient care. They provide oversight over our billing office, which sometimes needs prodding. They have my back, and I appreciate the help."

Physician, Pathology Practice, East Coast

"When it comes to Pathology billing, Lighthouse Lab Services is the go-to expert. They will get your billing and reimbursement processes running like a well-oiled machine."

Physician, Hospital System, Midwest

"We partner with Lighthouse because they are always a step ahead. They have strengthened our practice with their knowledge and expertise. We appreciate their dedication and integrity!"

Physician, Pathology Practice, Southeast

"Our group has used Lighthouse for many years. When we started they did an in depth investigation of our billing process and identified areas where we could make improvements and increase our monthly revenue. They took us through two different RFP processes for billing agencies and helped identify the best match for us. Through all of this they have been knowledgeable, professional, and efficient, displaying integrity by reducing their fee during our lowest months. I highly recommend them."

Physician, Pathology Practice, Northeast

"Our pathology group has been using Lighthouse's Practice Management for the past year and have been very happy with the service. For the first time I feel confident that our billing company is compliant and giving us the service we need. Lighthouse helped us renegotiate our contract with a substantial savings. They also assisted in switching to a more effective collection service. It is nice to know that help is one call or text away and that I can trust their advice."

Physician, Pathology Group, East Coast

"My 6-man pathology group has used Lighthouse for over 10 years. They originally helped us select a replacement billing service. Since then they have monitored the billing service, provided formal audits, and maintained close contact with us with regular conference calls where billing information is reviewed and a practice management plan is discussed. They have provided advice on contractual negotiations with insurance companies and have provided the perspective of being closely involved with other practices and having a national presence in the pathology business arena. I have found them to be responsive to our needs. The value added to my practice easily justifies the expense of their service."

Physician, Pathology Group, Midwest

" Their ability to home in on the small details to create a value proposition to trumpet the virtues and new technologies of smaller, boutique practices bring insurance network visibility – and leverage their unique relationships with health plans – and sets them apart from their contracting competitors."

Owner, PCR Laboratory, Southern US

“The Payer Strategy Solutions team at Lighthouse engaged quickly and with expertise to secure Medicaid contracts. The environment for lab credentialing is a tough one and we rely on their knowledge to guide us in actions to appeal or reapply when denials are received. Brennan Burns has worked hard to keep us on track and has often been available to brainstorm over tactics. I’m happy about the relationship being developed as we advance on our growth track across the nation!”

President, Genomics Laboratory, Midwest

"I am not one to give outstanding reviews unless the company/individual working with us is actually extraordinary. Lighthouse has done an incredible job in an incredibly short amount of time. We've already made it in-network with several BCBS plans and others are only weeks away. Qitek Labs will be able to accept specimens from almost any clinic in the state of Georgia within the next 2-3 weeks. We'll be able to take a large number of commercials/Medicare from all other states as well. Again, thank you for your help and great work!"

CEO, Infectious Disease Lab, Southeast

Case Studies

We love to show off the results of our hard work. Check out the case studies below for a few examples of our recent successes.

PCR Growth

See how we helped a client grow their PCR testing services by helping them land nationwide payer contracts with strong reimbursements.

Read More>

Payer Contracting

After being initially engaged for a routine coding review, we later secured seven new contracting opportunities to expand our client’s footprint.

Read More>

Supporting Data

Improving your payer contracting often isn’t as simple as making a request. See how we use billing data and other analytics to bolster your contracting.

Read More>

Billing Terms

Curious about industry standards and norms for third-party billing contracts to ensure agreements are fair? Check out this fact sheet for a breakdown.

Read More>

Thought Leadership & Webinars

Strategies for Entering New Payer Networks & Contract Negotiation

What Are the Takeaways from the Change Healthcare Cyberattack?

Best Practices for Responding to Payer Audits and Takebacks

FAQs

What is Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage is a Medicare health insurance plan offered by a private-sector health insurance company. Medicare Advantage health insurance companies offer HMO and PPO products and networks.

Why can some labs not get in-network?

Health insurance companies manage their provider networks in a variety of ways and under different strategies. For example, HMO networks tend to be more limited in the number of providers in-network due to restrictive contracts and network leveraging. PPO networks, on the other hand, typically offer more member and provider choice of which labs to utilize. Some payers simply use a network need criteria standard, while some require the lab to be located within their state or service area. These are just some of the requirements that may restrict a lab’s participation in network.

Can you re-negotiate your contract?

Many first-year contracts are standard network contracts with non-negotiable contract language and reimbursement. However, there may be exceptions based upon unique or complex services provided. Once a lab establishes a solid track record of quality and excellent turnaround times with little to no provider and/or member complaints, it will be in a better position to renegotiate its contract.

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