Jasmine Gee Director, Product Marketing

Evaluate your current self-pay strategy Explore how practice management can support your self-pay strategy

Bills Consumers are Least Likely to Pay if Lacking Funds to Pay All Bills Source: Online Resources Corp. (ORCC), “Short on Money, Will Your Customers’ Pay Your Bill?” December * “The ‘Retailish’ Future of Patient Collections,” Celent, February 2009

A 2011 survey of patients offers the following insights. 32% Don’t know their payment responsibility when they leave the office. 70% Are interested in making payments online. 63% Would use a payment plan if it was made available. * Trends in Healthcare Payments Annual Report: InstaMed.

Create a Self-Pay Policy Make self-pay collection part of your practice workflow Use technology to build efficiencies and automation into your self-pay efforts

Title: Announce the policy to the patient. Consider the following: - “Financial Policy” or - “Policy on Patient Responsibility for Fees” Section 1: Describe what the policy covers. Section 2: Describe generally that you hold patients responsible for the fees that they properly owe. Section 3: Tell the patient when you expect payment. Section 4: Clearly describe any late payment charges or any discount plan you may offer, making sure that you communicate all conditions and limitations recommended by your legal advisor. Section 5: Consider describing the consequences of non-payment (e.g., possible referral to a collection agency or an attorney). Section 6: Patient acknowledgement (optional).

Create a Self-Pay Policy Make self-pay collection part of your practice workflow Use technology to build efficiencies and automation into your self-pay efforts

Provide scripts to help staff collect co-pays, deductibles, and previous balances Provide access to real time adjudication Enable processing of credit card, HSA/FSA card, and checks Enable secure storage of credit card information to pay future balances Enable creation of automatic credit card payment schedules Provide portal to accept payment, deliver summarized EOB and statement Provide 2 automated follow-up calls every statement cycle Provide 2 automated follow-up s every statement cycle Provide live operator services for after- hours bill payment Mail up to 4 printed statements if needed Enable insurance card scanning Enable processing of payments via credit, HSA/FSA cards, and checks Enable secure storage of credit card information to pay future balances Enable creation of automatic credit card payment schedules Provide patient portal to communicate self-pay policy, post anticipated co-pay amounts, and take payments Enable swift insurance eligibility checking Pre-visit scheduling Check-inIntakeExamOrdersCheck-outFollow-up

Create a Self-Pay Policy Make self-pay collection part of your practice workflow Use technology to build efficiencies and automation into your self-pay efforts

It is important to work with your staff on self-pay best practices:  Help them understand the importance of collecting self-pay amounts  Provide scripts for your front desk staff to help them ask for co-pays, deductibles, and previous balances  Identify and appoint collection “aces” – these people should be in client- facing roles. And remember, asking for money is a talent. Keep this in mind when recruiting new staff  Explore incentives or recognition opportunities for self-pay staff achievements

Here are some policies that you might consider (with the help of your legal advisor):  Time-of-service payment discount  Cash discount  Extra charge if bill is not paid at time of service or by a certain deadline  Separate internal policy to cover fee waivers, discounts, and write-offs

Use scripts to help staff request co-pays, deductibles, and previous balances Ask if patient wants credit card info securely stored to pay future balances Request payment for existing balances or establish electronic payment plan if payment can’t be made immediately Allocate time for billing inquiries Collection agency management and account selection for collection agencies Confirm demographics Collect co-pays & deductibles Scan insurance cards Collect completed HIPAA forms Create materials to clearly communicate policy to patients Consider policies for special circumstances Make reminder call in advance of apt Pre-visit scheduling Check-inIntakeExamOrdersCheck-outFollow-up Remind patient to speak with front desk about payment

Once a month, review all patient balances that have aged over 120 days and send those accounts to your collection agency. You also need to monitor your collection agency’s recovery rate and customer service skills in order to make sure that they are being both courteous and effective.

THANK YOU Questions? Visit the athenahealth booth for answers and a copy of the “Self-Pay Toolkit”