most insurance plans, patients have been postponing procedures," she
says.
For patients who do undergo surgery, paying thousands in medical
bills is a big problem. Different studies have found that patients are
anywhere from 50% to 70% less likely to pay remaining medical bills
once the service is rendered, and Ms. Massey notes that 60% of bank-
ruptcy cases are due to medical costs. "Once the procedure is done,
and if they haven't paid, you're starting a fight," says Mike Lipomi,
MSHA, president and CEO of Surgical Management Professionals in
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Talking to patients about expenses
High-deductible plans "are the reality and aren't going away," says
Mr. Lipomi, so it's best to implement some commonsense practices
to attract cost-conscious patients to your facility. One idea is to cater
CAPTURE
EVERYTHING.
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NOTHING.
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