then calls patients to let them know their deductible or copay," says
Ms. Willoughby. "We do this as quickly as we can so that patients can
make arrangements if need be. We stand a better chance the earlier
we reach patients with their amounts."
Barbara Getlan, RN, BSN, the nurse administrator at the Dulaney
Eye Institute in Towson, Md., agrees. "When we make pre-op financial
responsibility calls, many times we introduce [healthcare credit] to
the patients as a way for them to be able to cover fees they otherwise
would not be able to," says Ms. Getlan. "With high-deductible insur-
ance plans and copays, many patients use it."
Each member of your business office staff should understand
patients' insurance plans better than the patients themselves. Upload
the terms of the contracts into your billing software to ensure you
generate the correct payment rates when you input CPT codes.
Train your staff on the calculations used to determine payment
rates and patients' co-pays so that you can have an informed dis-
cussion about the benefits when you contact patients a week
before surgery to inform them of their financial responsibilities. Be
A P R I L 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 9
healthcare lender charges a 2.9% fee for a 6-month plan and a
7.9% fee for a 12-month plan (minimum balance $1,250). We limit
the terms we offer patients to 6 months.
You can also offer patients a fixed-rate extended-payment
plan over 24, 36, 48 or 60 months. Interest is built into the loan
payment, which stays the same each month. A leading credi-
tor's interest rate on a 60-month plan is 16.9%.
— Joan Minnis
Ms. Minnis (jminnis@hesc1555.com) is the former business manager at
Hoffman Estates (Ill.) Surgery Center.
