Are We Brave Enough to Do This?
Have you been reluctant to attempt the collection of patient deductibles at time of service because of public relations problems that might come back to haunt you?
Some of the objections you might receive could include:
- “I always like to wait until my insurance has paid before I pay anything.”
- “My insurance company pays so strangely that you won’t be able to figure out how much I owe before you get their check.”
- “The last time you tried to tell me how much I owed ahead of time you messed up and sent me a bill for more money.”
Or, the worst possible objection:
- “The last time you asked me for money in advance you asked for too much. It took you six months to get me a refund. I’m never going to pay ahead again!”
These are all understandable excuses from customers who may not feel they have been treated fairly in the past. The one-word answer to most of these objections is EDUCATION!
The first thing to establish is that the provider is really entitled to payment at time of service for any verifiable patient-pay amount.
The balance of the education process will be accomplished with your employees. There are very good skills that can be learned in estimating insurance coverage accurately. The process begins with good procedures for verifying insurance with the carriers.
Knowing the proper questions to ask and documenting the answers accurately can give you the information you need to accurately determine the patient’s likely obligation.
After making a determination of the amount due and successfully collection it, establish an accuracy track record by verifying the amount paid by the carrier. Make adjustments to your calculation process when the E.O.B.’s arrive.
When you achieve complete accuracy with a particular carrier, document the method you used for making the estimate and use it for each patient covered by that plan.
Having this documentation available to show patients will add to your credibility and will make it easier to collect the amount due.
Objections occur when you send an amended bill for the balance after posting the insurance payment. You should always protect your integrity when collection payments up front by saying “if there should be a balance owed above the amount your insurance company pays, we will be happy to bill you later.”
When you mis-estimate in the other direction, your refund policy should be to act immediately. Slow refunds rank with bad food and cold nurses hands when patient complaints are lodged.
The word for the day is “collect all you can as soon as you can.”
Insurance deductibles and co-pay amounts collected at time of service can have a very positive impact on your cash flow and greatly reduce your billing duties.
Asking for money is an art, which requires training and practice. We have suggestions to help you train your employees. Time spent in this area pays off in better results.
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