Oregon fees: Sliding scale for insur. verse cash

[Guest guest]

I have brought this up before about sliding fees here in Oregon. I am now asking this question again, because in Nevada where I originally came from it is not allowed and also in many other states. I see here in Oregon most docs I have met feel this is a common way to do business with their patients. Has this been agreed upon here in Oregon by the Insurance commissioner? I have patients that say there doc down the street charges them less then I when they pay cash. I have not done this due to old habits of fear that was brought upon every doc in Nevada by the state board. Please read what I have below and then comment.Doc Wiese D.C

If patients want to submit claims themselves (with superbills) after paying in cash, can they receive pre-pay discounts?

I wouldn't do that. Now

you're on a slippery slope, especially if the patient ends up

collecting more than they paid. It's like providing your patient with

a part-time job. They come in and get adjusted and make money while

doing it. Great gig until you get caught. My advice; Keep it straight

up. Most importantly, keep your Lifecare patients strictly cash. Do

not mix and match.

If the state a chiropractor is in allows a sliding fee schedule, does it only apply to cash patients?

One Final Important Note... The

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a study that

shows a return of $373.00 for each $1.00 spent on post payment audits.

For this kind of return on investment, both Medicare

and the insurance companies have been hiring and training an army of

auditors. Those auditors could soon be knocking on your door to make

sure you have complied with all the new rules. If you have not, there

will be demands for big refunds from you, and will include penalties

and interest charges. If you have not, there will be demands for big

refunds from you, and will include penalties and interest charges.

If you are charging your cash patients a different fee than you do your insurance patients,

you are setting yourself up for major problems that could have easily

been avoided. This info came with much more by a company that is selling their position on a patients using a cash card system and the doc being involved with their company. This is not important to me as much as what they stated above. Using the CLA Card as your cash system keeps your cash

practice legal and helps avoid huge problems down the road. If you

have any questions about how to incorporate this system, please call us

at (800)775-7900. We will be happy to walk you through the process.