Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Heavy Duty - October 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/736989

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 29 of 126

Get Patients to Pay in Full on the Day of Surgery Collect deductibles and co-pays before you wheel patients back. W ith patients paying more out- of-pocket than ever before, collecting deductibles and co- pays on the day of surgery has never been more critical to a healthy revenue stream. At our physician-owned center, where 40¢ of every $1 come from point- of-service collections, here's how we (try to) get every penny patients owe before we wheel them back for surgery. • Ask patients how (not if) they'll pay. When you call patients in the days before surgery to go over their deductible and co-pay, ask them how they intend to pay, not if they can pay. Training your business office staff to ask "How will you be paying?" instead of "Can you pay?" lets patients know that you expect them to pay what they owe at check-in. This little bit of verbal judo really helps. Studies have shown that consumers are less likely to pay after receiving a good or service, so you'll have a hard time getting your patients to pay up after their incisions have healed. We've conditioned patients to not worry about paying upon arrival — or departure — for health care. Undo that way of thinking so that patients know they have to pay while they're in your facility. When you make it a matter of how will you pay, not if you can pay, your staff will run more cred- it cards at the registration desk and chase down fewer delinquent accounts. • Understand your patient's plight. Despite its name, the 3 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 Business Advisor Monika Aldred • SETTLE UP With today's high-deductible health plans, your business office staff must excel at point-of-service collections.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Heavy Duty - October 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine