What follows is absolutely real and why medical invoicing can be more troublesome than it need be.
One of my guys ran an outpatient clinic last Thursday
The clinic list arrived with me on the following Monday. There were 8 patients: 3 initials and 5 follow-ups.
Within 30 minutes 7 invoices had been produced and delivered to the various insurance companies. But that final EIGHTH invoice caused significant issues. Why?
The patient’s insurance details had not been recorded correctly.
So I rang my client’s medical secretary and ask if she knew what they were. The FIRST phone call – I’m told the patient is with insurance company A but did not know his policy number. Length of the phone call: 5 mins
A SECOND phone call was necessary. This time to the insurance company. I was on hold for 11 minutes to this particular insurance company which is about normal for an insurance company. Some are 4 – 5 minutes. With some, you are on hold for considerably longer. Once I got through however despite having the correct name, date of birth and postcode I was informed the patient’s policy had lapsed.
Length of the phone call: 11 minutes plus 5 minutes = 16 minutes.
A THIRD phone call was made. This time to the patient. Answer machine so I left a message to call me back. He did. The patient confirmed it was totally the wrong insurance company. He told me the correct insurance company but did not know his policy number!
Length of phone call(s) 5 minutes
A FOURTH phone call to the other insurance company. Placed on hold for TWENTY-THREE minutes! Finally, get through and I’m advised the correct policy number, etc. Invoice raised.
The total length of phone calls: 49 – FORTY-NINE MINUTES!!
There is no problem with spending 49 minutes on the phone; none whatsoever.
But just consider the problem if the medical secretary at the same time as that had patients trying to speak to her? Or she had correspondence to get out? Or she had clinics to book? She would have struggled for sure.
Finally, consider how much easier it would have been if the patient had been asked to bring a copy of their insurance details with them when they registered.
pete@medicalhealthcaremanagement.co.uk
by 