Guest guest Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Docs: Here's one I haven't encountered before. Perhaps the board members and attorneys on the list can provide me with some legal jargon to discourage a recurrence of this situation. One of my female patients convinced one of my CAs to loan her $20 so she could purchase her "medications." The CA came to me today and told me about it, then proceeded to say that the patient is now asking if I can pay the CA back and then add the $20 to the patient's account here at the office, which she will eventually pay. (With more "borrowed" money?) I was hoping to have some legalese to share with the patient that prohibits/discourages this kind of thing when I discuss the matter with her next week. Lyndon McGill, D.C. EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member Salem, Oregon www.SalemSpineClinic.com www.EvolvingDaily.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 There is poop in Lake Oswego. Present company excluded, of course. -- E. Abrahamson, D.C. Chiropractic physician Lake Oswego Chiropractic Clinic 315 Second Street Lake Oswego, OR 97034 Website: http://www.lakeoswegochiro.com Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:17:12 -0700 To: <oregondcs > Subject: Re: A new one Ron: When you practice in the slums of the State like you and I do, we're bound to step into the kinds of excrement that docs in prosperous areas will never see. Lyndon McGill, D.C. EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member Salem, Oregon www.SalemSpineClinic.com www.EvolvingDaily.com > Lyndon. > the one thing your situation has opened up for all of us > is to give us a very important topic to discuss at all of > our next staff meeting. I would have never thought of > this topic. But now thinking about it, my LMT/CA did > give away a perfectly good washer and dryer she had in > storage to a couple who were in need. She is now in the > situation of needing it back, or at least replacing it > with one as cheap as possible, asking if I would sell the > one I have in our clinic. It will be good fodder for our > general issues part of our staff meeting. Thanks for > bringing this to our attention. I hope it works out well > for you. I kind of knew you would have taken care of it > already, but we had to harp on you about it just for > giggles. > > Ron Grice, DC > Albany, OR > > > > > > Thanks Mike, Minga, Ron, et al. I would never consider > > putting the $20 on the patient's account, even if it's a > > private account (which it is) and not PI or work comp. > > The CA is just a soft-spoken, good-hearted young lady > > and has trouble saying no to people. I was just hoping > > there was some official rule against loaning money to > > patients so she would have a legitimate excuse for > > refusing to do so in the future. I've already had " the > > talk " with the CA, so she knows the problems this kind > > of practice can create. She said she just felt sorry for > > the patient and didn't want to say no to her, but now > understands the problems it creates. > > > Lyndon McGill, D.C. > > EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member > > Salem, Oregon > > www.SalemSpineClinic.com > > www.EvolvingDaily.com > > > > > Lyndon, > > > I have to agree with on this one. > > > Clearly, this is a type of boundary issue that has > > > potential to move in a bad direction. However, would > > > it ever reach the level of a violation? Prob not. > > > While on the board, however, I did see a few that did. > > > They followed this same scenario. Altho this is not > > > the content of the currently required sexual boundary > > > requirement, I think I will add this to my list of > > > examples for the next live CEU class I'm doing. > > > > > > points out an important point; the amt > > > of $ does make a difference in the level of the slope. > > > The issues that were brought before the board, were > > > hundreds or thousands of dollars in quantity. It had > > > to do with a 'borrowing' of funds in either direction. > > > In one case the patient loaned the doctor money, and > > > in another the doctor loaned the patient money. Both > > > resulted in very bad feelings by the 'banker' and > > > ultimately complaints were filed. > > > > > > In a case this small, here's how it could result in a > > > complaint against you. Let's say your employee keeps > > > asking the patient at each visit, " Hey do you have my > > > $20 loan yet? " " When can you pay me back? " And as time > > > goes by , if the employee becomes more insistant in > > > collection language, the patient may feel they can't > > > reschedule because they feel guilty that they have no > > > money to repay. They don't get well, because they're > > > afraid to tell you or anyone at your office why they > > > won't reschedule. They don't get a referral from you, > > > because you don't realize why they aren't > > > rescheduling. If it's an auto case , work injury or > > > other litigous case with delayed treatment; the ins > > > carrier asks the patient why there's a gap in > > > treatment. You and your staff won't look good if there > > > are perceived hard collection tactics to an injured > > > patient. It's a conflict of interest on the part of > > > your clinic. You get my drift? When the patient > finally realizes that they can't get monetary compensation > > > for their real injuries becaus e of this delay in care > > > , they file a complaint with the OBCE saying they were > > > 'abandoned' or they felt they couldn't reschedule > > > because the doctor's staff kept nagging them for a > > loan, etc... > > > > Loaning patients money can get you into trouble. I've > > > seen where offices are offering to pay for gasoline so > > > patients can make it to appts, taxi, MAX pass etc. All > > > these 'loans' have a potential to backfire. If you > > > 'give' a patient a loan of this type, it's a gift. You > > > can't expect to tack it onto the bill without opening > > > yourself up to a potential list of problems. > > > > > > I'm not criticizing your staff's intentions, just > > > pointing out the potential problems. The sexual > > > boundary class I'm offering for CEUs, covers similar > > > scenarios, but with sexual boundary issues. If anyone > > > out there still hasn't completed their requirements, > > > you can get a copy of it by calling my office. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm not criticizing your staff's intentions, just > > > pointing out the potential problems. The sexual > > > boundary class I'm offering for CEUs, covers similar > > > scenarios, but with sexual boundary issues. If anyone > > > out there still hasn't completed their requirements, > > > you can get a copy of it by calling my office. > > > > > > > > > Minga Guerrero DC > > > Hood View Chiropractic > > > 270 NE 181st Ave > > > Portland, OR 97230 > > > (j503) 669-1966 > > > abowoman@... <mailto:abowoman%40aol.com> <mailto:abowoman%40aol.com> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Re: A new > > one > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, Don. Of course, I would never add something > > > like that to the patient's bill. I was just hoping > > > that there was a statute or bylaw I could quote that > > > prohibits us or our CAs from loaning money to patients > > > so it would throw the fear of God into both my CA and > > patient. > > > > Lyndon McGill, D.C. > > > EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member > > > Salem, Oregon > > > www.SalemSpineClinic.com > > > www.LimitlessRelief.com > > > > > > > How about this legalese??? " It's fraud, and I will > > > > do nothing to risk my license " . > > > > Don White, RN, DC > > > > > > > > > > > > In a message dated 7/13/2012 5:38:29 P.M. Pacific > > > > Daylight Time, twogems@... <mailto:twogems%40unidial.com> > > <mailto:twogems%40unidial.com> writes: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Docs: > > > > > > > > Here's one I haven't encountered before. Perhaps the > > > > board members and attorneys on the list can provide > > > > me with some legal jargon to discourage a recurrence > > > > of this situation. > > > > > > > > One of my female patients convinced one of my CAs to > > > > loan her $20 so she could purchase her > > > > " medications. " The CA came to me today and told me > > > > about it, then proceeded to say that the patient is > > > > now asking if I can pay the CA back and then add the > > > > $20 to the patient's account here at the office, > > > > which she will eventually pay. (With more " borrowed " > > > money?) > > > > > I was hoping to have some legalese to share with the > > > > patient that prohibits/discourages this kind of > > > > thing when I discuss the matter with her next week. > > > > > > > > Lyndon McGill, D.C. > > > > EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member > > > > Salem, Oregon > > > > _www.SalemSpineClinic.com_ > > > > (http://www.salemspineclinic.com/) > > > > _www.EvolvingDaily.com_ > > > (http://www.evolvingdaily.com/) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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