Practice Management Alert

Question: We have several self-pay patients who are elderly and frequently patients pass away before they can pay their bill. Some of those bills are extensive and our practice just can't afford to let them go. Is there any way we can collect?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: While your practice may not want to seem insensitive, business is business, and your practice should pursue the collection on the outstanding bills. You'll need to find out about the deceased patient's estate. In many states when a person dies, anyone who is owed anything by the deceased can file a claim against the estate within a certain time limit.

Beware: Once the time limit is up, you cannot file anything against the estate and you must write off the bad debt, so you need to work fast. To find out what the law is in your state, contact a trust and estates attorney in your area.

To file a claim, you'll need the: Name, address, and phone number of the law firm handling the estate Name of the court where the estate is filed Filing's index number Names and addresses of the executor or administrator of the estate.

You may be able to find the information online or in the local newspaper. Otherwise, try to contact the patient's next of kin or attorney to obtain the information.

Tip: If there is no estate, you can try to bill the family if your state allows it. If the family won't pay the outstanding bill, you may be forced to write off the debt. First, however, explore your state's rules on placing the debt with a collections agency.