Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Improve collections rates and lower write-off amounts with expert advice. With Medicare payments dropping all the time, you can't afford to write off your patients' coinsurance amounts or deductibles. The following three tips can help you improve your collections track record and eliminate costly write-offs. Step 1: Collect at the time of service. In this day and age, when copays can run up to $50, it is important to collect them up-front, says Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC,CPC-H, CPCP, CENTC, CHCC, president of CRN Healthcare Solutions. "Not only should you collect coinsurance amounts up-front, but you should collect them before the patient gets his service," Cobuzzi says. Keep in mind that collecting up-front only works for defined contribution copayments, which many Medicare Advantage programs offer, since they don't depend on which services you render, Cobuzzi says. Some electronic subscription services allow you to verify the patient's coinsurance amount and whether [...]