Practice Management Alert

Question: Can my physicians accept assignment for certain patients, such as other physicians family members, and not collect deductibles or copayments?

New Hampshire Subscriber
 
Answer: The concept of professional courtesy is fading under current bureaucratic rules. You have to fill out the same paperwork and collect the same fees whether its a physicians family member or not. It could be considered a kickback, which is fraud. Medicares definition of fraud states, Fraud is the intentional deception or misrepresentation that an individual knows to be false or does not believe to be true and makes, knowing that the deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to himself/herself or some other person. The broad definition of fraud includes the offering or acceptance of kickbacks and the routine waiver of copayments. A 1993 survey by the Health Insurance Association of America found that 21 percent of private insurers healthcare fraud investigations involved waiving patient deductibles and copayments. In all cases, CMS states, You have to make an honest effort to treat everyone equally.