It is that time of year where those of us who work in the medical arena need to be thinking of high medical insurance deductibles and making sure we are able to collect all that is due for our practices with as little effort as possible. Offices that are prepared to inform their patients what office policies are regarding deductibles and having information ready for their patients when they have difficult understanding why they need to pay them are the most successful at collecting the money that is due. It never fails that we hear patients year after year telling us once they receive a bill that they had no idea they had a deductible and are not prepared to pay it, therefore causing collection issues which are costly to the practice. Information is the key to successfully being able to prepare our patients upfront what they are responsible for and also collect what is due to our office. Here are a couple of tips and links that will help your office be better prepared this year.
1. Have a copy of what Medicare’s deductible is for the year 2011 and give it to your patients when they come in for their appointments.
2. Have a simple list of deductible explanations and what your office policies are regarding collecting them.
3. Check patients private insurance PPO plans for current deductibles and give them a copy of what you have found. Many new medical software program allow you to do this with a click of a button, it is fast and accurate.
4. Almost all patients really do know what their portion is to pay, but if you are willing to let it slide, they will too. It is up to you to set the standard for your practice and hold to your policies.
Remember every unpaid account balance that needs to be collected after the fact will be worth less with each week it goes unpaid and the longer it takes to collect the less chance of actually collecting at all. Have information ready for your patients when they come in and be ready to help them with any questions they may have and make the new year a better one all the way around.
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