Wiki Copayments

[abhobson@yahoo.com]

I work for a "specialist office" and we have a financial policy that patients sign at check in. The policy states the patient will be responsible for their copay at the time of service, for every visit.

Legally can you deny seeing a patient for a follow up appointment if they can not pay their copayment on the date of service?

 

[ljjulian]

We have denied patients who present without their copay as long as it was a routine followup appt. If the patient was sick or had an urgent need to see the provider (as in needing to discuss abnormal tests, etc), then we would still see them. We let our providers make the final decision. To help out with this problem, we go over the schedule every night for the next day and call patients to remind them that copays are due at the time of service for the ones who may "forget" to give them the opportunity to reschedule if needed.

Laura J, CPC

 

[abhobson@yahoo.com]

Collecting on past due accounts

Thanks Laura for your help.

I have another question.... What about balances. Our policy is if it is over 90 days and at least 3 statements have been mailed the patient is turned over to collections, but we have several patients who come in for 2,3,4 month follow ups. When they come in for their follow up if they have a balance we ask them to pay if they don't can we reschedule the patient legally or do you have to see them? Also if we do go ahead and treat and they need to come back for another visit how can we ever collect?

 

[mhstrauss]

Thanks Laura for your help.

I have another question.... What about balances. Our policy is if it is over 90 days and at least 3 statements have been mailed the patient is turned over to collections, but we have several patients who come in for 2,3,4 month follow ups. When they come in for their follow up if they have a balance we ask them to pay if they don't can we reschedule the patient legally or do you have to see them? Also if we do go ahead and treat and they need to come back for another visit how can we ever collect?

Our policy for this issue, is that once a patient has been turned over to collections, they are not allowed to schedule any more appts without speaking to someone in the business office first to either pay off the balance, or make payment arrangements. That way they don't continue to stack up charges for multiple visits without ever paying.

 

[ljjulian]

Same answer as above!