Patient Billing Challenges: Frequently Asked Questions

It is appropriate to seek reimbursement for services rendered prior to a patient’s death. The practice can determine if it wants to pursue any amounts that are the patient’s responsibility based on several factors—including the amount of the outstanding balance or the estate’s ability to pay. If the family is dissatisfied with the patient’s care, the practice should also consider the possibility of adverse social media postings or the potential for pursuit of a professional malpractice action.

Talk with the patient first. Investigate why the bill has not been paid. Is there dissatisfaction with the care? After your discussion, you can consider alternative financing options, including a monthly repayment plan and bill collection.

It is helpful to have a written document summarizing the practice’s policy on financial matters that you give to each patient during the initial visit. A healthcare provider has the right to expect payment for services rendered. The practice should have a policy and apply it consistently in a nondiscriminatory fashion. Often, signage at the reception desk indicating that payment is expected at the time of service is an appropriate way to notify patients. When you can, remind patients that they received a copy of your policy at the time of the first visit. It makes handling nonpayment situations easier. Additionally, post a similar notification on the practice website to reinforce the importance of the policy.

If you decide to terminate the patient relationship for nonpayment, you must follow a formal process that includes giving the patient proper notice and treating emergencies in the interim. For more information, read our article “Terminating Patient Relationships.”

Yes, as long as the patient is not seeing you based on a referral from an emergency department (ED) where you were on call when the patient was seen. If that is the case, determine the hospital’s requirements as established in its medical staff bylaws and rules and regulations. You must follow those requirements.

At a minimum, it is likely you will be required to see the patient at least one time to determine status and whether the patient has an emergency medical condition that qualifies under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. If the patient needs emergent treatment, you will likely be required to provide care regardless of the ability to pay, although you can ask for payment or payment arrangements.

If the patient did not come to you as a result of ED call coverage and you have an established policy of not accepting patients who cannot pay, you can refuse to establish the relationship. Give potential patients some indication of your practice’s financial requirements when they make an initial appointment for treatment. In addition, posting a notification on your practice website helps communicate the policy and avoid any subsequent disputes or misunderstandings.

Potential patients who are not aware of your financial requirements may delay making other care arrangements while waiting for an appointment with you. If the patient then arrives for an appointment and you decide not to accept him or her for financial reasons, your decision may appear questionable if the patient is injured by the subsequent delay in receiving care.

Having the biller check the status of coverage before a patient arrives for an appointment can expedite your decision about whether to accept an individual as your patient.

Consider including a disclaimer regarding the provider-patient relationship on the practice website and on data collection tools (e.g., preliminary healthcare and insurance questionnaires). The disclaimer should state that the practice does not deem an individual seeking treatment to be a patient until a preliminary assessment is concluded and the individual has been notified about being accepted as a patient. Similarly, advise prospective patients at the outset that simply making an appointment or returning a completed health questionnaire does not automatically trigger the relationship.

Third-party auditors frequently ask the following questions: (1) Was the care medically necessary? (2) Was the service delivered as evidenced by the patient’s records? (3) Is the billing code commensurate with the care the patient needed? Documentation in the patient record must answer these questions.

Selecting the correct patient, providing very thorough informed consent/shared decision making, and keeping the lines of communication open are the best ways to defend against patient dissatisfaction. If, however, a patient who is dissatisfied asks for compensation, contact your patient safety risk manager for help in evaluating the situation from professional liability and compliance standpoints. In some situations, making a concession may be viewed as a courtesy gesture and may be a positive factor in the defense of a claim. Other situations may warrant the use of a Release of Claims form. Payer-provider agreements often specify the circumstances under which a refund or waiver of some portion of a bill is permissible.

Credit card customers can always request that a charge be questioned. Normally, when this situation occurs, the credit card issuer will open an investigation into the disputed charge. During the investigation, the card issuer may withhold payment of the charge amount.

Office practices need to exercise caution when interacting with credit card companies to ensure they do not violate patient confidentiality required under federal and state law. For patients who prefer to pay by credit card, one approach before rendering services is to require the patient to execute an authorization to release protected health information (PHI) to the credit card company if it becomes necessary. In the event of a billing dispute, the PHI authorization will allow you to release the minimum necessary information under state and federal privacy laws to the credit card company.

Some commercial credit companies hold the provider responsible if a patient defaults on a payment. Before using a commercial credit company, read the contract carefully to make sure you won’t be liable for a patient’s outstanding balance, and consider consulting your corporate or personal counsel for guidance.

Be aware, too, of your state’s consumer protection laws regarding lending and disclosure, and make sure that your patients understand the terms and conditions of the financing.

Your bank or professional society may be able to help you locate a commercial credit company that specializes in these types of arrangements.