Wiki Cash Patients

[JCampbell]

Can anyone tell me how they handle cash patients when presenting for surgery? Do you collect a certain amount up front? If so, is it a flat rate or do you base it off of what you believe the physician will be performing?

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[lorig]

However you choose to do it, you must be consistent so that each and every patient is treated equally. Your policy should be documented so that no one can come back and say that you treated them differently than you did another patient who is having the same surgery.
I have never worked in surgery, but in a previous office, we used to handle cash-pay patients who were unable to pay up front, but needed ongoing treatments, basically the same way. They needed to put a percentage down and then we had them sign a payment plan for the remaining treatments.