One mistake a week = £500 a month
An MHM client held one of his twice-weekly outpatient clinics recently. Nine patients; so there should be NINE invoices. Except there are only EIGHT? A quick look at the list indicates one of the...
What’s next for your fees?
A shortened version of a recent conversation with a well established private consultant surgeon. Very recently one of the major PMI players announced a further reduction in payable fees. The...
Doesn’t she like money or something?
One of the most common mistakes made by a private consultant surgeon when invoicing is undercharging for their work. This is alarming when considered against the question most asked by a private...
Invoice right first time
I'm a really, really impatient person. I like everything done yesterday. Which is why I go incredibly slowly to start with. Do it once and do it right When I begin to raise invoices for a consultant...
Are you loosing £50 a day?
A Scottish colleague called me last week. A case of "can I pick your brains for two minutes?" What's the problem? I'm always happy to take such calls for many times I have called others with...
Medical Professional Or Entrepreneur
At a conference recently a friend of mine was discussing the future of the private practice industry and what lay ahead. My colleague shared the view that the "younger" newly appointed consultant is...
Social Media can be a dangerous place to be
Following a recent blog regarding websites, I was asked my view of social media eg Twitter or Facebook. Whilst in my view a private surgeon should have a website, social media may not be the right...
The Art of Excess and Shortfalls
One of the major areas MHM is approached about is excess and shortfalls. In October 2019, empirical evidence indicated 26% of all claims to private medical insurance companies are subject to an...
Assumption: the root of all mistakes
Some consultant surgeons aren’t fully familiar with the fees paid by different medical insurance companies for the same surgical episode. They actually undercharge without even realising it. Any of...
Rubbish In = Rubbish Out
MHM recently completed a project for a hospital. The project was to investigate why the hospital was not getting paid. One insurance company was proving to be particularly troublesome. An analysis...
Pre-authorisation issued but payment refused.
Consider when the patient has contacted his/her insurance company and been issued with a pre-authorisation number. This does not mean, the insurance company will accept your charge. This happened to...
Patient’s Insurance Policy and Exclusions
Recently my stepdaughter received confirmation from her GP additional tests were required for an issue that had arisen. Both she and her Mum were somewhat disturbed that the waiting time for the...