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Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Reader Questions:

Look Into Options for Handling Late or No Show Patients

Published on Sun Mar 21, 2010

Question: We have a few patients who routinely miss appointments or show up late. We'd like to emphasize the importance of keeping appointments without alienating the patients. Can we bill for no-show visits and/or charge a fee for being late? Illinois Subscriber Answer: Whether you can bill for no-show visits or charge a late fee will depend on your payer contracts and the laws in your state. Some contracts prohibit no-show charges or fees unrelated to patient services. Check your contract and state laws, and if both allow such charges, go ahead and bill the patient for this inconvenience. Many practices charge a fee (such as $25) for missed appointments, but there are other options to consider. Here are some suggestions from other practices: If a patient is chronically late, tell them an earlier appointment time than what you schedule. For example, tell the patient her appointment is at 9:30 [...]
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