RE: Billing

[Guest guest]

Marita,

We have a local collection agency that offers a money and time-saving

service.

We generally send out monthly statements. Once the insurance has completed

processing all claims, we allow the patient 60 days to make payment on

their account. As long as they make monthly payments we consider the

account current.

However, if no payment is received after the 60-day period, the account is

referred to the collection agency.

They offer a " Pre-Collect " service. The cost is minimal ($2.50 per account

here). They will send out 2 letters to the patient regarding their

balance. The letters are addressed from the collection agency, which

usually gets the patient's attention. We've had success with this process.

Once the second letter is issued by the collection agency and no response

is received, we are contacted as to whether or not we want to pursue actual

collection procedures.

You may want to check with an agency in your location. The fee covers the

cost of the supplies and postage. If these accounts are paid during the

" Pre-Collect " period, there is no additional collection fee involved.

Amy Stelly

Clinic Coordinator

LeBlanc, Chamberlain and

Email: Amy.Stelly@...

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" Marita Mc "

<mcdaniel@blackfo

ot.net> To

Sent by: <PTManager >

PTManager@yahoogr cc

oups.com

Subject

Billing

02/01/2007 09:41

AM

Please respond to

PTManager@yahoogr

oups.com

Hello all,

I've been lurking and looking through the archives for a few months now.

I've had many questions, since I'm brand new to this job, but never had the

courage to actually post until now.

I work for a very small practice with one PT who usually only works 4 days

a

week, just to give you an idea on how small a practice it is. I do all the

office work from A-Z, from scheduling to billing, or at least I'm fighting

my way through it, as it's been very trying at times, to say the

least...;-)

My boss came to me a couple of weeks ago asking me to come up with a better

way to handle patients who haven't been paying on their accounts. We have

some that have been outstanding for quite a while, and now I am starting to

write letters to these people. She has never taken anybody to collection,

but said that would be a possibility in the future.

My question is this, are there some sort of guidelines to follow as far as

billing goes? I mean, after the first bill is sent out and nothing happens,

is there a certain procedure to follow, like sending a letter offering a

payment plan first, in the next letter*threatening* to charge interest,

then

*threatening* with a collection agency? If so, are there form letters that

I

could download somewhere?

I'm sorry if this question seems ignorant, but I am basically brand new to

this job and don't know who else I could ask.

I appreciate any and all help offered, off- or onlist.

Thanks,

Marita Mc

Secretary

Austin Professional Offices

[Guest guest]

Marita-Our normal procedure is to collect all money up front (if at all

possible). If I need to send out patient statements, I send them 3 and on the

third one, I stamp " final notice " . If there is still no response, they are sent

to collections. We give everyone their insurance benefits on their first visit

and have them sign a copy so that they know what they are responsible for. They

are also given a copy for their records. If they complain about their benefits,

I tell them to contact their insurance company or their employer to get further

clarification. Be sure to tell every patient though, that this is NOT a

gaurantee of payment from the insurance company and they may be responsible for

additional charges if the insurance company denies their claims.

Please feel free to call me or email me if you have any other questions. Good

luck!

Kim

Affiliated Therapy Group Practice

kkots@...

Billing

Hello all,

I've been lurking and looking through the archives for a few months now.

I've had many questions, since I'm brand new to this job, but never had the

courage to actually post until now.

I work for a very small practice with one PT who usually only works 4 days a

week, just to give you an idea on how small a practice it is. I do all the

office work from A-Z, from scheduling to billing, or at least I'm fighting

my way through it, as it's been very trying at times, to say the least...;-)

My boss came to me a couple of weeks ago asking me to come up with a better

way to handle patients who haven't been paying on their accounts. We have

some that have been outstanding for quite a while, and now I am starting to

write letters to these people. She has never taken anybody to collection,

but said that would be a possibility in the future.

My question is this, are there some sort of guidelines to follow as far as

billing goes? I mean, after the first bill is sent out and nothing happens,

is there a certain procedure to follow, like sending a letter offering a

payment plan first, in the next letter*threatening* to charge interest, then

*threatening* with a collection agency? If so, are there form letters that I

could download somewhere?

I'm sorry if this question seems ignorant, but I am basically brand new to

this job and don't know who else I could ask.

I appreciate any and all help offered, off- or onlist.

Thanks,

Marita Mc

Secretary

Austin Professional Offices

[Guest guest]

Hello Marita,

I know where you are coming from with handling everything from A-Z in the

practice. That is how we started out ourselves. The procedure that we

follow in my office currently is we send three statements to the patients,

if after the third they still haven't responded or made any attempt to make

payment then I write a letter from us advising that if we do not hear from

them within the next 30 days, their account will go to collections. Since

you are a small practice right know, you might want to follow up with maybe

a call first because there could be a good chance that if they are having

problems with their mail that the letter and statements haven't been getting

to them. I had that happen to me because a lot of my patients are snow

birds and live in another state half of the year.

Hope this helps. Remember one step at a time!! Feel free to contact me if

you have any other questions.

Estrella Vantuyl,BS

Florida Fitness and Rehabilitation

18900 N. Tamiami Trail

Suite A-5

N. Ft. Myers, FL 33903

Phone: Fax:

Email:

estrella@...

_____

From: PTManager [mailto:PTManager ] On Behalf

Of Marita Mc

Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 10:42 AM

To: PTManager

Subject: Billing

Hello all,

I've been lurking and looking through the archives for a few months now.

I've had many questions, since I'm brand new to this job, but never had the

courage to actually post until now.

I work for a very small practice with one PT who usually only works 4 days a

week, just to give you an idea on how small a practice it is. I do all the

office work from A-Z, from scheduling to billing, or at least I'm fighting

my way through it, as it's been very trying at times, to say the least...;-)

My boss came to me a couple of weeks ago asking me to come up with a better

way to handle patients who haven't been paying on their accounts. We have

some that have been outstanding for quite a while, and now I am starting to

write letters to these people. She has never taken anybody to collection,

but said that would be a possibility in the future.

My question is this, are there some sort of guidelines to follow as far as

billing goes? I mean, after the first bill is sent out and nothing happens,

is there a certain procedure to follow, like sending a letter offering a

payment plan first, in the next letter*threatening* to charge interest, then

*threatening* with a collection agency? If so, are there form letters that I

could download somewhere?

I'm sorry if this question seems ignorant, but I am basically brand new to

this job and don't know who else I could ask.

I appreciate any and all help offered, off- or onlist.

Thanks,

Marita Mc

Secretary

Austin Professional Offices