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J U N E 2 0 1 4 | O R E X C E L L E N C E. C O M S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT 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
amplify that fear. We make sure we acknowledge their concerns and try to give
them as much information as we can without increasing their fears. Most are
grateful when you take the time to explain their costs to them.
• Is it more than making sure patients understand their financial
responsibility? Yes. Insurance plans are changing rapidly in today's market-
place. We have someone whose job it is to monitor those changes. Real-time
updates regarding insurance plans and reimbursements are available through
various online outlets. The person in charge of that also keeps our billing
department posted when we see unexpectedly low reimbursements. That way
we can adjust our approach rapidly and avoid leaving money on the table.
• On when to keep pushing and when to accept less than the
full amount owed. Some patients have very high deductible plans or haven't
met their deductibles when they come to our facility. Naturally, we'd like to col-
lect everything from them, but we don't want to lose a case because we were
overly aggressive in trying to collect out-of-pocket costs. We have general guide-
lines for collecting from patients on or before their day of surgery. We're firm,
but also fair and reasonable. For example, in some cases, we'll collect as little as
half of the estimated amount and establish a payment plan for the remainder.
We understand that as the industry continues to change, we have to adapt, too.
Patients don't always understand their personal financial responsibility and they
may even fight it. The foundation of our approach is to always maintain an atti-
tude of respect and to always educate.
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