04 Nov Collecting outstanding deductibles from patients: Everything you need to know
As a healthcare provider, the focus on the care is essential. However, it’s impossible to run your operations without a stable and quality administrative system in place.
As a provider, your daily tasks matter the most. This includes supporting the patients and meeting their healthcare needs. One of the most tedious jobs is maintaining medical billing and payments. Patients have different insurance plans, and it can be difficult to track how much they need to pay.
If you’re a provider, you must ask yourself about the strategy you put in place for patient billing and collections. It’s significant to design a system to remain on top of everything and run your workflow smoothly. This effort would pay off in form of increased revenue and consistent cash flow.
Here are a few tips to bear in mind to organize your medical billing.
- Assign tasks to the in-house staff
By designing clear guidelines and assigning tasks to office staff, you reduce the chances of missing any payment collections.
Choose staff members who always see to the tasks assigned. This way there will be no confusion and the payments along with follow-ups will be catered to.
- Patient Experience
Your practice is not only about payments and deductibles. You should also pay attention to the patient’s experience. Consider their feedback on the visit to your healthcare facility. Offer multiple payment platforms which include digital and other user-friendly forms to lessen the frustration at their end. This would enhance their overall satisfaction and win you a good reputation.
- Stay clear of vague questions
If you feel hesitant in approaching patients for payment, it would encourage them to not address it either. It’s better to directly ask whether they would like to pay in cash or with a credit card.
- Ask for immediate payment
The efficient way of ensuring your patients pay is to encourage them to make payments when they receive the service. The longer they would wait to make a payment, the less likely it is you will receive the complete payable amount.
- Give payment options
If you provide the patients with multiple payment options, it will increase the chances of them paying you on the spot.
You can provide them with payment solutions that would abide by your facility’s policies. You can also offer to set up recurring payments on the credit card if the patient is unable to pay the amount immediately.
- Ensure open communication
Significantly, your patients and the in-house staff are all on the same page regarding medical billing and payment options. Be upfront about the service costs before making appointments so the patients are aware. It’s best to have no surprises.
Bottomline
Since the collection of payments happens daily, make sure to streamline your tasks and prioritize the needs of your patients. If you’re a private organization or a large hospital, you need to put a reliable system in place for medical collection payments. It’s significant to bear in mind all the factors we mentioned in this article for your steady growth and smooth service.
No Comments