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The healthcare industry is currently in an era of higher copays and deductibles, and effective patient collections are critical to the financial health of practices. The front desk staff of a practice is the first area to help with patient satisfaction and the key to a healthy revenue cycle. This front desk staff must collect the estimated copays, co-insurance and outstanding balances.
It should be the goal of every practice to collect 100% of copays and deductibles each day. Because asking for money can be uncomfortable, keep your patients informed of your policies through the practice website, patient portal and patient reminder phone calls. Effectively communicating to patients that payment is expected at the time of the visit can eliminate potential excuses, such as, “I don’t know if the cost of today’s appointment will apply to my deductible.” Also, it is very important to have a posted sign letting patients know “No Copay, No Visit,” and that the appointment will be rescheduled, except for acutely ill patients.
Keep in mind that patients sometimes do not understand their health insurance or financial responsibility; it is necessary to train staff members on the importance of collecting payment before patients are seen. Some staff may be more effective than others at collecting payments. It may be beneficial to have other employees observe their techniques so everyone is capable of performing this essential function.
Monica Robinson says
May 22, 2019 at 12:55 pmHi! I am employed with a small town optometry office. A staff question that is complicating our billing- Does a pt owe a specialist copay or office visit? Thank You