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  • You must get ready now for many more eligibles

    Patient access departments need to prepare for a great increase in the volume of patients who are eligible not only for Medicaid, but also private insurance policies, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) according to Luis Guerrero, director of patient access services at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans.
  • Self-pay A/R cut by $15 million

    Self-pay accounts receivable (A/R) was reduced by about $15 million annually after the patient access department at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA, implemented daily eligibility checking of self-pay accounts against Medicare and Medicaid to find instances in which patients had coverage for that particular date of service.
  • Patient may not be ‘true’ self-pay

    Patient access staff at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas now run all self-pay patients through an automated verification system to identify those that are unaware that they are still active with the Medicaid program.
  • What’s even more critical for access? Service

    There is a growing emphasis on sensitivity in hospital collections that patient access staff should be aware of, advises Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA, vice president of healthcare financial practices for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
  • Does applicant have service skills, or not?

    Jamie Kennedy, a patient access supervisor at Ohio State University East Hospitals ambulatory clinic, says that her clinic is hiring additional staff, and customer service is her number one priority.
  • Offer price estimates for ‘self-service’

    Patients are asking patient access staff for various self-service options for registration processes, including price estimates, reports Angela Long, associate vice president of administrative services in revenue management at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA.
  • Early education is key with Medicare status

    Medicare patients often are shocked to learn that they have a significant out-of-pocket responsibility due to being in observation status instead of inpatient, reports Diane C. Settle, CPA, CHFP, executive director of the revenue cycle at Sarasota (FL) Memorial Health Care System.
  • 20% increase in ED copay collection

    Emergency department (ED) copay collections increased 20% after a process was implemented at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, MD, that required patient access reps to perform a benefit check on patients presenting with insurance.
  • New eligibles will turn to access for help: Don’t be caught unprepared

    Patient access departments need to prepare for a “great increase” in the volume of patients who are eligible not only for Medicaid, but also private insurance policies, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) according to Luis Guerrero, director of patient access services at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans.
  • Ask community for feedback

    Have community advisory groups give feedback not only on clinical processes, but also the revenue cycle, advises Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA, vice president of healthcare financial practices for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).