Medical Billing Forum
Payments => Patient Billing => : Alice Scott March 07, 2008, 08:17:34 AM
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Question
Good Morning,
We are thinking about offering a discount to our patients at the end of their treatment.
If they would accept, we would write off any thing over that amount.
Do you know if this would be legal, and if it would endanger our contracts with our insurance payers?
Thank you,
Debi D
Answer
Hi Debi,
Could you give me a little more info on what you are offering as a discount? Is it on the balance after insurance payments, or on cash patients, or something else?
Thanks
Michele
Question
What they are wondering is when the patient discharged – on the day of the last visit - the front desk would calculate the amount owed after insurance paid. Patient would be offered a percentage of that amount if they paid right then and there.
I thought it might be in violation of our insurance contracts -
Deborah D
Answer
HI Debi,
This is a legal area and I am not qualified to give legal advice, however, the way that I interpret it is that the insurance contracts indicate that you must attempt to collect the patient portion. If you are billing the patient right along during their therapy, and then at the end, you offer a discount on the remaining balance, then you did ATTEMPT to collect the whole amount.
I hope that helps!
Michele
Answer
It helps more than you will ever know!
Thank you so much!
Deborah