Why won’t YOUR patients just pay their excess?
Ever thought what is the most often quoted reason for non-payment by a patient of an excess? The same reason is quoted over and over again. It's not "I haven’t got the money”. It's not “I didn’t...
It’s not just Orthopods who may be denied a fee
I'm used to insurance companies declining to pay a consultation charge for an Orthopaedic Surgeon within 10 days of surgery. The reality is that this does not impact only on Orthopods. I've seen it...
Should you publish your fees?
Flip the question on its head. WOULD YOU BUY SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MUCH IT COST? Would you pass over your debit card details without knowing how much is going to be charged to it? 99.9% of...
I’m a Virtual Cheater
Keep it quiet but I'm a virtual cheater! First of all, I'm a virtual business. I'm not physically based in my client's offices. In some cases, I'm hundreds of miles away so I can't walk down the...
What’s in it for me?
I'm a contractor. I provide an outsourced service for my clients. I run my business to generate an income for me. Notice all three of those sentences started with the word "I"? But when I (sic) go...
Don’t promise to call someone back and then forget
We all hear that many times during the day. It's a pain but sometimes it literally is a case of not being able to provide an answer there and then. In itself that is not a problem. Where it IS a...
Right enough to be dangerously wrong
There are only 24 hours in a day. All of my guys are incredibly busy. I'm amazed at the volume of work they get through in a single day. They are either on-call, doing a ward round or in theatre....
Putting the wrong CCSD code first can cost you £’000
A Consultant Surgeon performs an AB1234 worth £525. At the same time, he performs a DC2468 worth £576. The patient is insured so an invoice has to be submitted for payment. Therefore you have to...
What are the differences between benefits and fees
The Difference This issue came up recently with a consultant surgeon. How are fees accounted for against a benefits package? Benefits Consider the total benefits payable under a patient’s policy....
Didn’t charge him even though he was £413 better off
After a recent presentation, a private consultant surgeon telephoned me. He wanted all his fees checked. He heard about the MHM fee checker from a colleague who had attended the presentation so he...
Robert Johnson, Johnny Cash, Charles Dickens and the “Cash Flow” Blues
I like the blues. I like Robert Johnson for example. And I like cash (including Johnny) What I don’t like is the expression “cash flow” For the simple reason, cash does not flow. Cash has to be...
Self Funding Patients do not have to be a problem. Unless you make them so.
Most MHM clients have reported issues with self-funders when we get involved. It is also the source of many calls made to MHM. With the self-funding market increasing, it is important to understand...