Reader Questions:
Collect Surgical Deductibles Up Front
Published on Sat Apr 24, 2010
Question: We often have patients who don't pay their deductible after surgery. Is there a recommended way to collect these payments up front?South Dakota SubscriberAnswer: Yes, you may collect a deductible up front. The first step is to confirm the deductible amount with the payer. Insurance verification services now make it possible for practices to find out if a patient has met his deductible yet, or how much remains unpaid. You usually can access updated information shortly before the patient's scheduled procedure.Pointer: Before settling on the deductible due, check to see if the patient has Medigap coverage that will cover a portion of the payment. Then contact the patient to communicate what his responsibility is. Try to speak with the patient about collecting the deductible several days, or even weeks, before the procedure, rather than the day of the procedure.Make sure you tell the patient where you got the information [...]