Hospital Access Management – September 1, 2011
September 1, 2011
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Insurer won't pay, says auth wasn't provided? Prove otherwise!
If one of your registrars followed payer requirements to obtain a required authorization, it might become a "he said/she said" situation if the claim is later denied. -
Auths becoming more numerous and detailed
While payers used to encourage registrars to notify them that a patient was hospitalized, they are now requiring it, says Mary G. Lawson, BSN, MPA, director of admissions at University of Louisville (KY) Hospital,. -
Don't allow changes in status to bring denials
Previously, case managers at University of Louisville (KY) Hospital were assigned by service, and "they were all over the place," says Mary G. Lawson, BSN, MPA, director of admissions. -
Financial counseling saves $1.3 million
In 2010, Sutter Health Sacramento (CA) Sierra Region, which consists of eight acute care hospitals, saw a 30% increase in its uninsured population. -
Not just a good, but great first impression
If registration goes smoothly, that great experience is going to carry through the rest of the patient's stay, according to Betty Bopst, director of patient access at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. -
Evaluate service skills of next access applicant
After Betty Bopst, director of patient access at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, finishes telling a patient access applicant the extent of the commitment that comes with the job, he or she sometimes tells her flat out, "This job is not for me." -
Ask applicant to meet with other registrars
Have you ever suspected that an applicant is just telling you what you want to hear in order to get hired? If Betty Bopst, director of patient access at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, has any doubts about someone she's interviewing, she relies on what her staff has to say. -
Account 'uncollectable?' Try a different approach
If you don't pay this bill, we're going to send you to a collection agency." This was a commonly heard statement by patients at Tallahassee (FL) Memorial HealthCare, when Joan S. Braveman, director of patient access and financial services, took over the business office. -
Which patients will pay, which are time-wasters?
One question that members of Tallahassee (FL) Memorial's patient access department have struggled with is whether it makes sense to keep going after a person who simply has no resources, says Joan S. Braveman, director of patient access and financial services. The department installed software in August 2010 that gives customer service representatives the ability to look at how likely a patient is to pay. -
Ask for balance due on previous accounts
Registrars at Fairview Northland Health Services in Princeton, MN, started collecting prior balances about a year ago, says Steph Collins, manager of patient access. -
Give patients options for their prior balances
When attempting to collect prior balances, registrars at Fairview Northland Health Services in Princeton, MN, often come across patients who are unprepared to pay the amount or don't realize they have a balance. -
Don't ask staff to collect without accurate info
If a registrar tells a patient that he or she owes $500, he or she might be faced with the question, "Well, where did you get the amount of $500 from?"