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CODING & BILLING
PATIENT'S SELF-PAY PORTION
Tips for Collecting Coinsurance Up Front
I
t's common practice to collect copays and
deductibles up front from patients, but what about
UPFRONT PAYMENT Are you
collecting coinsurance from
patients on the day of surgery?
coinsurance amounts? Outpatient Surgery Magazine
readers weigh in on what's worked for them.
• Instruct your billing staff to verify benefits on each
patient, and call those who'll owe about 1 week ahead.
"You must have accurate fee schedules from all your contracted insurance companies in order to do this," says a
reader. "I update a spreadsheet yearly so that we can be
as accurate as possible. We also try to be prompt with refunds when overpayments occur."
• Post a written policy stating that co-insurance is due at time of service. "With advance
notice to our patients, we generally don't have any issues collecting up front," says a
reader. "It can be difficult to collect once patients have left the facility."
• For patients with large deductibles or self-pay, require a deposit at time of service.
• Have patients sign a promissory note if they can't pay the entire portion due before surgery. "Less than 3% of our patients have defaulted on paying after they sign the promissory
note — as long as they've paid something up front," says a reader.
"We've been collecting co-pays and deductibles at the time of registration for years,"
says a reader. "I hate to think of what our A/R would be if we didn't. Once these patients
leave our center, that chance of collecting money decreases dramatically."
— Compiled by Dan O'Connor
J A N U A R Y 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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